“By your work you show what you love and what you know” (St. Bruno of Cologne).

Congratulations, you earned the promotion! With it comes a title change, a raise, perhaps a new office or more time working remotely, and new responsibilities. It is exciting and nerve-wracking all at the same time as you transition to a different role and expectations within your organization.

How do you navigate a promotion when you’re adding new responsibilities to what you are already doing?

I am a few months into a promotion with a title change, raise, and shift in responsibilities, with mostly new ones added onto my previous tasks. After I advocated for my new responsibilities, it was a much harder transition than I originally had anticipated. I now oversee student organizations and career services plus general administration work in the department of the university where I work.

With previous student organization experience, I had expected a smoother transition, believing that overseeing fewer than 20 student organizations on a small campus would be easier than the more than 425 I’d previously managed at a mid-size campus. Though my supervisor said our organizations can be a lot of work, I knew and wanted that responsibility in order to grow and expand my position.

It was—and is—a lot more work than anticipated. There have been new tasks and needs to learn and juggle, more questions to answer from students, and more time needed for me to understand the policies and procedures. It’s required reorganizing my work day and learning a new rhythm to student life.

Mostly, it continues to be a lesson of how and when to delegate, because I had forgotten something important from the last time I had worked with student organizations: There were a few more people helping me in my previous job, compared to the single person—me—doing it now.

Realizing that factor was an important step in navigating my promotion. It meant acknowledging that though I had been at the university for nearly two years, I was learning parts of a brand new role while navigating how to incorporate it into my current role.

When we are promoted, it can be easy to place high expectations on ourselves. At least, it was for me: I had the experience, I knew the university culture, and I expected the transition to be only in terms of my time management. I didn’t anticipate the need to learn how to oversee two different offices.

But, even in the same company, a promotion requires learning a new role and adjusting to new expectations and responsibilities. We have to give ourselves the same grace we gave ourselves when we were brand new to the organization.

Honestly, at first, I was frustrated and angry that I was as stressed out as I was. It was easy to shut down and panic instead of stepping back and surrendering my feelings to the Lord. But, there were a few things that I did—and some that I wished I had done—that helped me through my transition period:

Adoration and Daily Mass

Adoration and Daily Mass are always the best way to approach any challenge in your life. To see and receive Jesus is beautiful, humbling, and strengthening. I do not always see the difference right away, but the graces do come, sometimes in the most surprising ways. A Daily Mass can be a once-a-week Mass (mine certainly is); God uses what we give Him.

Acceptance

Acknowledging that your promotion comes with a learning curve releases the pressure to be on top of everything right away. The moment I accepted that I was in a learning period helped me stop trying to excel at everything right away.

Taking a Break

We do not need to be chained to our desk. We can—and should—take some breaks throughout the day. We should not need to eat at our desks. Whatever that break time looks for you, take it! Let your mind and body have some time to reset and recharge.

Sleeping and Eating Healthily

Sleep and healthy eating are usually the first things to go for me when I am stressed and overwhelmed, but they are the two things I most need. We all know that sleeping and eating well are important for our general well-being. As easy as it is to be sucked into another show or go through a drive-through, resist the temptation. Set a timer on your phone to turn off your TV, start meal prepping … do whatever helps you get the sleep and food that you need to feel mentally and physically well.

Consistent Prayer

Consistent prayer is also often tossed aside during busy and stressful times, but we need our prayer time. Our Father is so good. He knows what is happening in our life and wants to hear from us. He is constantly inviting us to share with Him and asking us to surrender our burdens to Him. The Father wants to walk beside you always and forever. You just have to let Him.

Celebration

Promotions are a visible accomplishment showing that we are moving forward in our career. They are earned, and we should feel excited. Take a moment to celebrate with family and friends!

Again, congratulations! The Father is celebrating with and for you! Let us entrust our promotions and this time of transition to St. Joseph the Worker, who is our model of dignity, integrity, and love within the workplace.

Alexandra (Alex) Harrel resides in Irving, Texas. She is a new student affairs professional within the world of higher education. In her spare time, she loves reading, listening to podcasts, and spending time outdoors. Her favorite prayer is Hail, Holy Queen. You can follow her on Instagram at @2012alexandra.