Glad and sad at the same time

You wanted the new job. Now, while packing your desk, you feel sad about leaving the people who made the old one bearable. The sadness seems out of place beside congratulations.

You can be glad about the opportunity and sorry to lose a familiar lunch or a trusted colleague. Those feelings refer to different parts of the change. They do not cancel each other out.

Send a personal note, arrange one last coffee, or take home a small reminder. The gesture does not need to be public or elaborate to matter to you.

With someone you trust, try “I am excited, and I am going to miss this.” You do not have to provide the simplified version just because it is easier to celebrate.

You can begin the new role while still missing the old routine. There is no requirement to finish one emotion before another part of life is allowed to start.