Started a very social job and i'm a wreck!

[dukeofthenuke]

After graduating I managed to find a job at a convience store called Martin Mccolls.

It's only part time but I do evenings and I serve customers. I work at till scanning items and my anxiety is getting the better of me ::

I did my first shift on tuesday and my anxiety of serving customers shows and everybody was commenting on how nervous I was. Also the more nervous I was the more mistakes I made... ::

I've got my next shift on saturday and it's a 9 hour shift, i'm a little frightened but I need this job BADLY as I have little paid experience and only volunteer work experience.

Anybody had a job serving customers, and how they dealt with it?

 

[omnighost]

Hello. Jobs can always be horrible on us anxious people. I have had my fair share of experiences like this and it's never pleasant. I think the best advice I can offer is just keep trying and remember the anxiety has to come back down at some point. Good luck and keep your head up.

 

[dukeofthenuke]

thanks omnighost and the aristocrat

I want to at least stay there long enough for it to look good on the cv. Yeah I'm glad it's part time because the day after I needed time to calm down and all I wanted to do was be away from people for a bit to recover.

 

[Section_31]

Duke, just a thought.

I dont know how you feel about this, so maybe this will work for you, maybe not. When my wife had extreme anxietry when she first began a new job, she saw the doctor, who gave her what her and me refer to as her "nuclear pills". They werent a permanent prescription, just somthing to calm her down enough so she could become familiar with the job role and the enviroment. By the time she finished them she was familiar with everything and it really helped her into the position.

Maybe this would be of benefit to you?. Again, depends on how you feel about such things, but it might help.

 

[panicsurvivor]

Duke, just a thought.

I dont know how you feel about this, so maybe this will work for you, maybe not. When my wife had extreme anxietry when she first began a new job, she saw the doctor, who gave her what her and me refer to as her "nuclear pills". They werent a permanent prescription, just somthing to calm her down enough so she could become familiar with the job role and the enviroment. By the time she finished them she was familiar with everything and it really helped her into the position.

Maybe this would be of benefit to you?. Again, depends on how you feel about such things, but it might help.

I recommend this as well. Except, I recommend that you don't take them. Keep them in your pocket, and remember they are there. That way you have a plan B. I find that just having a strong prescription of xanax on me makes me feel ten times better. The Aristocrat is right about your comfort zone, getting out of it, is hard and scary, but if you stay out of it and stick with it, it becomes your tolerance for such things get's higher. I believe that is the formula for exposure therapy.

 

[Section_31]

I recommend this as well. Except, I recommend that you don't take them. Keep them in your pocket, and remember they are there. That way you have a plan B. I find that just having a strong prescription of xanax on me makes me feel ten times better. The Aristocrat is right about your comfort zone, getting out of it, is hard and scary, but if you stay out of it and stick with it, it becomes your tolerance for such things get's higher. I believe that is the formula for exposure therapy.

Good call PS! i didnt even think of that.

All very good points here. Hopefully some of these help you Duke .

 

[Feathers]

Well done on finding a job and being brave!

It's something where with experience it'll go easier, I imagine...

People can comment on any odd thing just because it may be the first thing that pops into their mind (I had some really silly comments when I was working in a store too, very unimaginative) so maybe just try to distract them with other topics? eg compliment what they wear or suggest they can buy something with a discount etc.

 

[MrTimid&Shy]

i have worked cashier before. it's not easy for someone with s.a. but this is what i did, try to relax and calm yourself. maybe remind yourself that you are not like everyone else there and you can go on your own pace and have your own way of dealing with things. slow down if you have to. eventually it will only get better

 

[dukeofthenuke]

thanks for the advice everyone, I was thinking of getting some tablets or something to calm myself. But can't really afford to until I get my first paycheck. So I guess by then i'd hopefully gotten used to it or fired. Going to try my best to calm myself, if i can get through my 9 hour shift on saturday a-ok then I should be ok.

I'm trying other things to build my confidence socially, I met up with a bunch of strangers who play chess and pool at this university bar. I didn't know any of them or even go to that uni but it went ok. Also taken up weight training and volunteering in a cafe weekly. I'll just take each day as it comes.

Thanks again