Doing some volunteer work

[Cat80]

I have been suffering from anxiety for years but am bored of sitting indoors letting me stop working. I've applied for a few volunteer jobs to try and see if I can cope and I am no going in for a trial on Thursday to our local Shelter charity shop. I've been getting the odd panic attack again in the last few weeks where I feel like I will be sick and pass out and just need to escape where I am. I'm scared I won't be able to manage this, I will only be doing 2 hours but am scared I will freak out and look like an idiot. Does anyone know any tips on how to cope for these few hours? I will be mainly stocking shelves and serving on the till from what I can see and I've not worked in many many years so am a bit scared.

I did this to get myself some experience for when I do start wanting to do full time work, I hate just sitting and doing nothing.

[DebbieDoo]

Well done in taking steps to get out the house - the more you do it the easier it will become! I hope just by being there it will take your mind off it as i find work can sometimes help the anxiety! The main thing to remember is that if you feel you cannot cope you can leave at anytime worse case scenario but imagine how good you will feel if you make it through the two hours with not a blip in sight! You can do it!! when you feel yourself panicking just say those words "I can do this" :yesyes: good luck xxx

[ElizabethJane]

I have done a lot of volunteering in the past. The best volunteer jobs were the ones that provided training usually shadowing someone else who has been doing the job for a longer period of time than you. The volunteer jobs that I enjoyed most was working at our local hospice in the kitchen and helping out during the day with the cooking and clearing up loading the dishwasher etc. In the evenings I 'worked' on my own preparing supper for the patients (about ten) It was a background that I had come from and felt familiar with. Do not be afraid to ask questions and if it is a shop you will need to be 'till trained'. It will be like a normal job with breaks etc the only thing is that you won't get paid. EJ.