Work Worries

[bananarbabe]

Hi All,

I did a search on this before posting this message but I was wondering if anyone has had a hard time with work causing anxiety.

A few months ago, I started a job in a field I loved and recently, I have found myself feeling overwhelmed with work and stressed out over the simplest tasks. For example, I have a deadline coming up that I'm waiting for some feedback on from my boss. I'm so freaked out about getting yelled at that I can't even get the courage to email my boss to ask a simple question? I don't know if its intimidation or what.

In addition to that, I have found that the littlest things can get me anxious. I find myself waking up early or waking up already anxious and unhappy about work. I want this attitude to change, I feel as though all of this anxiety is being brought on by myself and that I'm blowing things out of proportion. Has anyone felt like this? How did you cope with it?

Thank you.

[Hexia]

I used to feel like that before I became ill.
I was only off work for two weeks because of my anxiety, and when I came back to work, the whole thing started over again.

I feel all right now, most of my anxiety has gone away. But when I have too much to do at work or something is making me miserable, I still feel the way you describe.

Fortunately, everyone at my workplace know that I suffer from anxiety, so when I get to feeling like this I tell them that my work is becoming too much and I need to slow down.

I can no longer handle nearly as much stress as I could before I got ill. I have no idea if this is any help, but at least I can let you know that you are not alone.
Take care.

"You can't yell loud enough to make me shut up."

[sal]

I totally understand and if you have read my posts you would see that i really do feel for you.

Love Sal xx


Dont mess up the best things in your life, just because at present you are unsure who you are.


"Life is a distance and to travel that distance you were given the strength and guidance to do so".

[heavymind]

I could have written this mail. Right now such things are indeed happening here. I am working on a presentation and I want my project to succeed and I am really really worried whether the stakeholders will agree to give the support that I need to get going with this project.

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[Evie]

I started to have the most terrible panic attacks at work which eventually caused me to take four months off work on cipramil. I was such a dependable and capable worker that any time something cropped up that needed done really well, it'd get passed to me, which included the workload of others who had found the workload untenable and gone elsewhere. Because I took this as a compliment I didn't say no, and I was indeed good enough to do all of it just well enough for no-one to notice the strain building up.

Eventually, after a particularly bad panic attack I watched my hand dip into my handbag, find my address book, open it and dial my doctor. My boss was terribly supportive. I have known him for many years and he knows me well enough to know that this was serious so there was no pressure on me to return any sooner than I felt comfortable with. To help me concentrate entirely on getting better I was off on full pay, my colleagues all sent flowers and, when I felt a little better, my favourite friend was sent over (it was 50 miles away) to take me to lunch.

Everyone learned a lot from that and when I returned to a much-reduced workload, extra staff were hired and everyone rejigged their workloads to hopefully prevent it happening to anyone else too. When I stated that I felt that a 3-day week was my limit (I was on the cipramil for a further four months) a job share was arranged to mop up the other two days, this eventually being replaced by a full-time, second staff member to take on the extra administration.

I think it would be sensible to have a word with your boss/HR Manager and explain how you feel. I'm sure that they'll respect your professionalism in letting them know and if it just means taking a little off your shoulders for a while they are sure to see the sense in this, especially as the alternative may well be increasingly compromised work and an unhappy staff member who eventually needs six or nine months off on sick pay.

Good luck and I really hope you sort something out. H :-)