Ways of dealing with work anxiety/stress

[Nochowderforyou]

hey all,

It was my first day of my work experience for school and things didn't go so well.

The people there are awesome to start off with, no complaints there, but I have a severe anxiety disorder (bi-polar) and new experiences get me worked up. This time it got bad though, really bad.

Whenever I start a new job I get insanely nervous. The day started out good, but then they kind of put me in the spot where I didn't know what to do. I got overwhelmed and got flustered, which leads to panic, which leads to getting sick. I was pouring sweat and ended up vomiting in the washroom. My hands were shaking and my heart was going a mile a minute.

These are normal anxiety feelings, but these feelings got stronger when I was put in a situation where I didn't know what to do. Usually it goes away, but this time it got to the point where I got sick.

I was only there for 2 hours before I had to ask to come home. It felt like the flu, but now that I am somewhat calmed down, I am feeling better. Not a good impression asking to home only 2 hours into my shift on my first day.

So I ask you people, is there any breathing techniques or anything that you do to keep your mind and head straight when starting a new job?

I know I know, just smoke weed right? Well I did that and it turned me into a spacecase, so getting high before work is not an option.

I know being nervous on your first day is normal, but I couldn't function due to being so nervous, so what do some of you do to keep yourself functioning?

Any help would be great! I am going back tomorrow and I can't have a repeat of today. The guy was cool about it and let me go home for the day, seeing as that I'm not getting paid to work there, it's not as big a deal.

Thanks for any help people!

[Skink]

I don't have any answers except if your new expect things that are new and say,,,I'm new how would we do that here...

[TallulahGreen]

First off....why aren't you getting paid for work experience? All work experience at my school was...you get a job and get you manager to sign your school shit and you write about it. You got paid though..it wasn't like set up by the school.. that sounds lame, buddy.

Anyway...all I have to say is hang in there, everyone understands that being the new person is very nerve wracking. Don't feel bad to ask questions, no one wants you to try to figure things out for yourself...because in many cases you could learn to do something the wrong way, or screw a bunch of things up. I know it may seem hard since all the other employers are probably doing their own thing and know how to do everything, but sometimes it is hard to remember that new people don't already know everything-since things come so easy to them.

Just hang in there, relax, try to keep in mind that everyone was a new person at some point and everyone else really does understand. Don't ever feel like you are annoying a co worker by asking them how to do something, because trust me they would rather teach you to do it right the first time than have to fix our screw ups later.

I would NOT suggest smoking pot before learning a new job, that is most definitly not a good idea.

Get a good nights sleep and remember that it will all get easier in time. Trust me.

..and seriously, take my advice-I have been training new people at my work alllll week long.

[ToDrunkToFish]

Well what was this 'new' thing you had to do?

Let me tell ya man I was told I gotta learn/drive a high-low in a day and ill be movin full carts of shit around. (Im glad I didnt have to though) and that was really off the hook.

Just stay calm and do what you gotta do. Ask questions. Id rather ask a question and look stupid then do it, while wrong and having to do it again later correctly. While lookin stupid to my boss.

If the person raises his/her voice at you just tell them to stfu (not litterally) and tell them whats up.

Cause my boss (Duke) will go off the hook no matter what. The first week I started there he was callin me a Dumbass, son of a bitch, stupid ass and you just gotta take it. Its work man.

Cause the sooner you learn what you gotta do, the easier right?

[jdmarcus59]

I understand where your coming from, I do. just stay calm, it ok not to
know everthing, its ok to ask qustions,if you dont know then, there is know dumb qustions. dont be so concerend about what others might think of you just go to work and learn what you can and do what you can.be pround of what you are and who you are, and always remember, this to will pass.

uncle john.

[Nochowderforyou]

Thanks for the replies people! :thumbsup:

I get student funding every month by the government here, but by not getting paid, I mean by the company. There is no hourly wage there and what I do get is a check once a month by the government, so really, I don't get paid by the company, but I do by the "man."

It's fuck all too. I have been living off about $90 a month for the last 4 months for personal spending money. That includes weed and basic toiletries too, so in the end, I get maybe $10. :p So lame.

I am working in a warehouse and in logistics, or warehousing, it became a certified trade in 2006. I'll save you the mumbo jumbo, but this place I am working at doesn't have a aisle/bin/product number picking operation. It's one of those places where nothing is numbered. You just have to memorize where everything is.

Not to mention they didn't even show me around. He just brought me in, said this is so and so, and we just started working.

The main part of our job is picking the orders, loading them up on pallets, shrink wrapping then, then load them on the truck with the forklift. I don't mind doing this at all, but after I pretty much watched buddy do the order, they gave me a sheet to try.

I didn't have a clue where anything was, or what it meant on the sheet. I'd ask them to explain, and all they would do is point out where it is.

I'm a dummy, I need things explained to me, not just shown to me. :p

So I guess I started getting overwhelmed when no one was around, and I had no flipping clue what I was doing. I didn't want to screw things up by pretending to know what to do and ship the wrong product out.

I'll try to ask more questions. I feel like a pain in the ass or a dipshit when I ask a question every few minutes, because that's how I learn. I have to have things explained and shown to me, but once I learn it, I do a damn good job and have it right.

[friendowl]

maybe you should exploit your illness
and tell the doc's you cant leave the house
and they'll give you disability and you never have to work again

what about drinking some whiskey

[Skink]

Sounds like they may be sticking it up the new guys ass,,,make a friend...

[Nochowderforyou]

maybe you should exploit your illness
and tell the doc's you cant leave the house
and they'll give you disability and you never have to work again

what about drinking some whiskey

Ha ha! No no, I don't want to do that as I feel there are people out there with disabilities, who truely can't work. I can work, it's just starting off with new people, new job, new environment, it gets to be too much at once. Like I mentioned before, not being properly shown around or explained things just goes downhill for me, in combination with the new place, it can send my head in a spin.

No whiskey. Nooooooo, bad news there. :p

[Nochowderforyou]

Sounds like they may be sticking it up the new guys ass,,,make a friend...

I met one guy there and he asked if I was feeling okay as I looked like shit. :p We got to talking and he was kind of explaining things better to me. He gets ahead of himself though as I'm in the middle of an order, but that's okay.

He told me I had better go home and feel better. I told him it was probably the flu and I'd be back tomorrow.

Things will go better tomorrow, and no having a small puff before either to calm me down. It calms me down, but I can't work or retain anything.