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A client presents for career counselling, advising their counsellor that they are unhappy in their current job. The client feels anxious from the moment they wake up until they go to bed, and they have felt this way for months on end. Despite their desire to change jobs, the client finds it hard to describe a path forward. Eventually the client stops coming to the consultations. However, some months later a quick check on social media confirms they are still in the same job. Perhaps you can relate to this scenario?
In this article, I will focus on how the sympathetic nervous system can affect people’s capacity for career decision making. Research in neuroscience has grown dramatically since the 1990s via new technologies such as the EEG (electroencephalogram) and fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging). These technologies have increased our understanding of the biological mechanisms that explain how psychological therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy and psychodynamics work. Building on this, recent research proposes it is reasonable to explore how neuroscience can be used in the context of career counselling.
What is stress?
Studies show that when a person is in a state of stress, their capacity for career decision making is compromised. This is due to decreased activation of the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for strategic thinking. This part of the brain manages planning, impulse inhibition, reflective thought and cognitive flexibility.
We feel stressed when the sympathetic branch of the nervous system is activated, releasing the hormone cortisol. This biological process puts the mind and body into a heightened state of readiness; the heart starts pumping blood to the muscles, massive amounts of adrenaline are released in case of a need to run or fight, blood vessels constrict in preparation for blood loss from injury. Clearly, this stress response was not designed to help us navigate the challenges of a modern workplace.
“Studies show that when a person is in a state of stress, their capacity for career decision making is compromised.”
Stress typically does not cause full activation of the sympathetic branch of the nervous system; it tends to occur at a lower grade. However, it is the chronic nature of stress that is the real danger.
Long-term effects of stress
Short-term bouts of stress are a natural course of life and can be beneficial. For example, when we play sports, the stress response is necessary for creating high levels of alertness; the release of adrenaline helps us react quickly when a tennis ball moves in our direction at high speeds, or a pitcher unleashes a baseball at almost 100 miles per hour. Our bodies are capable of coping with short- to medium-term stress, so we should not be overly concerned if we have a couple of busy weeks at work. However, chronic stress is a separate matter. It is therefore helpful for career counsellors to understand the neuroscience of chronic stress, and how it can affect our client’s capacity to engage meaningfully in the career counselling process.
Long-term release of cortisol negatively impacts brain functioning. Cortisol reduces the brain’s capacity for neuroplasticity – its ability to adapt and change – which reduces our ability to learn new information.
Prolonged periods of cortisol release also degenerate the branches of our neurons (called dendrites) that carry information between different parts of our brain. Chronic stress can also compromise neuron efficiency, which causes our brains to operate slower. Therefore, it takes us longer to arrive at decisions. Finally, prolonged periods of stress can lead to the death of neurons, referred to as apoptosis. Chronic stress causes a cascade of biological processes in the body that affect cognitive performance in the present moment, and can negatively impact general health over the long term.
Working with stressed clients
So, how do we work with stressed clients? We can start by encouraging our clients that moving into a more satisfying job should decrease their stress levels. This information alone could be motivating.
We can also help them understand that the process may take longer than they would like as their ability to think strategically may be compromised to some degree by being in a state of stress. We can alleviate their concerns about this, by reminding them that through the process of career counselling with a counsellor who creates feelings of safety and trust, they will make progress.
We can ask our client to think about their career goals when they find themselves in a relaxed state, and to write their thoughts down so they can be discussed at the next consultation. They may find they can think more creatively on the weekend.
Finally, we can educate our clients on the biology of stress and the long-term health implications of remaining in a state of chronic stress. The reason for this is not to alarm our client, but simply to act as further motivation for not accepting their current circumstances.
By encouraging our clients with a vision for a better future, providing a safe space for them to think creatively and educating them on the biology of stress, we can hopefully help our clients to feel motivated to engage in the career planning process with patience, optimism and an understanding of why they should not accept living with chronic stress.
