Anxiety at work

So I work at dollar general. and occasionally i have to lift heavy things. i have a history of bad joint and back pain (i'm 19). i get really depressed, angry, and frustrated when i have to do heavy lifting. however, communicating this to my mangers is extremely difficult because i get really anxious and experience really bad fight or flight response when I try to do so. i feel worried that i might get fired or that the manager i'm speaking to will explode at me-classic f or f. i've tried alternative solutions to lifting but usually my joint pain is still pretty bad-i really just like working at the cash register and interacting with customers. is there any way i can confront this issue, or a different way I could look at it to make it easier on me?

You could invest in a back brace/belt. They are supposed to take the stress off of your back. As for your manager, you can let him know when you're having trouble lifting boxes, but also let him know that you're willing to unpack and stock the items if someone could help you with the box. I think he wouldn't get upset if you approached as a team player, not someone trying to get out of work.

2QuietForThem said:

You could invest in a back brace/belt. They are supposed to take the stress off of your back. As for your manager, you can let him know when you're having trouble lifting boxes, but also let him know that you're willing to unpack and stock the items if someone could help you with the box. I think he wouldn't get upset if you approached as a team player, not someone trying to get out of work.

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I second that.