Any tips on how to overcome anxiety in work?

[Space_Shift]

Hello everyone!

So, in the last couple of weeks i got a job on a convenience store near where i go to school. First i was a floor employee but later i just felt that it was a little boring and more later i was interested on the cashier position. At first it wasn't too stressful or difficult at all but one of my co-workers told me that the Thursdays and Fridays are the most busiest days in the store and a lot of people go to the store to buy their groceries or just a snack. 

The thing is that when i'm in the cashier and a lot of people are in the line i feel very nervous and that makes me do everything fast to just finish all the work but even before i go to work i feel very nervous too because i worry too much about how it's going to be today or if it's going to be a lot of people and that i don't want to make a mistake or make a customer angry, that kind of thoughts.

 

Also there's people that when i'm checking the products from a costumer and i'm busy they want to check a price or change some money, and also that make me really stressful. I tried to change my position to floor employee but my manager told me that they can't do that .

I don't like arguing with people and that kind of stuff but unfortunately i can't skip that part of the job. For example one day i just got so much nervous because there was a lot of people and some other guy wanted to change a bill for spare change and just ran to the manager office and told him to attend the cashier and to give the man the goddamn change and i stayed there to calm myself down. Yesterday was the same, some lady was arguing because by accident i didn't check a item and she wanted it and same situation with a lot of people in the line, i was nervous in that moment but i kept doing my work, also i was drinking some water to calm myself down. That's the part i really don't like from that job.

 

So, I would like to know if anyone has some tips that could help me on being less nervous and control the anxiety from work, because even before going to work i feel nervous and i worry about what could happen.

Also, i saw a store from the same company more closer where i live, would be a good idea to ask for a change to that store?

I really want to beat this anxiety because it's not only in work, it happens also when i need to make a presentation from school for example and i really want to change that. 

 

Thanks for reading!  and sorry for any mistake in the text  

[Kimmers]

54 minutes ago, Space_Shift said:

The thing is that when i'm in the cashier and a lot of people are in the line i feel very nervous and that makes me do everything fast to just finish all the work but even before i go to work i feel very nervous too because i worry too much about how it's going to be today or if it's going to be a lot of people and that i don't want to make a mistake or make a customer angry, that kind of thoughts.

 

Also there's people that when i'm checking the products from a costumer and i'm busy they want to check a price or change some money, and also that make me really stressful. I tried to change my position to floor employee but my manager told me that they can't do that .

I don't like arguing with people and that kind of stuff but unfortunately i can't skip that part of the job. For example one day i just got so much nervous because there was a lot of people and some other guy wanted to change a bill for spare change and just ran to the manager office and told him to attend the cashier and to give the man the goddamn change and i stayed there to calm myself down. Yesterday was the same, some lady was arguing because by accident i didn't check a item and she wanted it and same situation with a lot of people in the line, i was nervous in that moment but i kept doing my work, also i was drinking some water to calm myself down. That's the part i really don't like from that job.

 

So, I would like to know if anyone has some tips that could help me on being less nervous and control the anxiety from work, because even before going to work i feel nervous and i worry about what could happen.

Also, i saw a store from the same company more closer where i live, would be a good idea to ask for a change to that store?

I really want to beat this anxiety because it's not only in work, it happens also when i need to make a presentation from school for example and i really want to change that. 

As you have already noticed, fast paced environments exist outside of work. You have presentations where you have to speak to people, projects where you collaborate with people, and deadlines to please certain people. If you haven't noticed already, you'll be dealing with people.

 

Judging by your post, I'd say that you over think things. For example when you're at the cashier. Those people at the checkout just want to get on with their day and the only thing they care about is that you check their stuff out in an efficient manner. They're not wondering whats going on in your head, or judging your appearance or whatever you may be worried about, they just want their stuff.

 

You mentioned you don't like arguing with people. Most people don't, not even the customers. They're not coming in to shop to start a fight but sometimes it happens and my best advice with angry customers is to simply be patient. Make sure they know that you are listening (eyes attentive, nodding your head) and make an effort to help them. Again, these guys just want to be in and out and don't want to stay inside for too long. It's your job to help get whatever these customers need and out the door. You also mentioned that you had similar situations with the other customers. There are two things you should do. #1. Ask your manager for some extra training. Good managers are always willing to help their employees. #2. Rehearse the situation at home. Think about the conflict, why it occurred, what you did right, what you did wrong, and what you could do better. That way, when it happens again, you'll be better prepared.

 

As to moving to another store. If it's a shorter commute you're looking for then ask for a transfer. If you're trying to avoid people, that won't work since as I said before, almost everything in this world eventually falls upon person to person interaction.

 

Lastly, for other situations like school. Again, be patient, listen to your peers/teachers for advice, and rehearse. You're not going to be perfect off the bat but if you make an effort to better prepare yourself for common situations, you'll find yourself much more comfortable in any fast environment.

 

Hope that helps. 

[Space_Shift]

Thank you for your help, i really appreciate it  

 

As for the change of store, today i asked about that and i hope i can make the change because work could be more closer.

 

I don't try to avoid people at all, i want to beat this problem of anxiety but day after day seems to be impossible  I just get more nervous and stressed when the store is busy. I also realized that when some of my co-workers help me when there's a lot of people i feel a little more comfortable and not too stressed. Sometimes if i feel a little nervous i ask to do something else to relax a little bit, but i feel weird drinking water all the time because when i feel nervous i need to do it (it's a way to calm myself a little) even if i'm attending a customer  and also i try to do everything as fast as i can because of that.

 

I will try too apply that thing you said about rehearsing the situation on home, also i will try to be a little more "enthusiastic" because i'm a little serious person in my job.

 

Also, i would like to know if there's any way that could help me to control my anxiety meanwhile i'm working, i could use the time when there are not a lot of costumers or in my free time to do any kind of exercise or meditation or something like that.

 

Again, thanks for the help

[Nuluvius]

Be very honest, how do you feel about the job in general? Do you enjoy it?

On 22/06/2016 at 4:54 AM, Space_Shift said:

...even before going to work i feel nervous and i worry about what could happen.

If any job is making you feel this way before you even get there then that is a clear signal that something is very wrong. It could really be as simple as it not being the right kind of work for you. Listen to what your gut instinct is telling you and remember that life is far too short to be pissed away being stressed, anxious and worried.

 

If it is any consolation I couldn't do that kind of work - it would break me.

[ConneelyS]

On 22/6/2016 at 4:54 AM, Space_Shift said:

Hello everyone!

So, in the last couple of weeks i got a job on a convenience store near where i go to school. First i was a floor employee but later i just felt that it was a little boring and more later i was interested on the cashier position. At first it wasn't too stressful or difficult at all but one of my co-workers told me that the Thursdays and Fridays are the most busiest days in the store and a lot of people go to the store to buy their groceries or just a snack. 

The thing is that when i'm in the cashier and a lot of people are in the line i feel very nervous and that makes me do everything fast to just finish all the work but even before i go to work i feel very nervous too because i worry too much about how it's going to be today or if it's going to be a lot of people and that i don't want to make a mistake or make a customer angry, that kind of thoughts.

 

Also there's people that when i'm checking the products from a costumer and i'm busy they want to check a price or change some money, and also that make me really stressful. I tried to change my position to floor employee but my manager told me that they can't do that .

I don't like arguing with people and that kind of stuff but unfortunately i can't skip that part of the job. For example one day i just got so much nervous because there was a lot of people and some other guy wanted to change a bill for spare change and just ran to the manager office and told him to attend the cashier and to give the man the goddamn change and i stayed there to calm myself down. Yesterday was the same, some lady was arguing because by accident i didn't check a item and she wanted it and same situation with a lot of people in the line, i was nervous in that moment but i kept doing my work, also i was drinking some water to calm myself down. That's the part i really don't like from that job.

 

So, I would like to know if anyone has some tips that could help me on being less nervous and control the anxiety from work, because even before going to work i feel nervous and i worry about what could happen.

Also, i saw a store from the same company more closer where i live, would be a good idea to ask for a change to that store?

I really want to beat this anxiety because it's not only in work, it happens also when i need to make a presentation from school for example and i really want to change that. 

 

Thanks for reading!  and sorry for any mistake in the text  

Hey dude I don't ever have anxiety but I do get nervous sometimes. I just recently started a new job in an IT support company and I have to answer the phones to people looking for help. As I said I'm only new to the place and I'm very suited to solving people's issues just yet but I'm always learning and getting better at the job. When I started the job only two weeks ago I was so afraid of answering the phones, which was a silly thing really because it's only talking to someone and they're not even in the same room as you. It's not that I was nervous to talk to people (I can talk to people well enough, I never shut up) but I was afraid I'd make a fool of myself if I didn't know what to say or what to do if they got angry. It turns out the majority of people are lovely and don't mind that you can't fix the problem directly, they're just happy they have somebody to talk to who can point them in the right direction.

The point I'm trying to get across is it's okay to be nervous but just take your time, breath and try to enjoy what it is you're doing. Try talking to the customers as you server them and just deal with one person at a time don't be afraid if there is a big queue building up.

[Space_Shift]

It's been a while since i made this post , thanks both for your replies! 

 

Well at the moment i'm feeling well, i just quit that job because i wasn't feeling well, but before i went to the doctor and it gave me some medicaments and vitamins(i know that medicaments are not the solution either) and told me to go outside more or do some exercise to stay more relaxed. 

 

So right now i'm just looking for what i could do for work in this last month of summer vacations, i was thinking to apply on a Office Max store but for some reason i don't feel motivated (or maybe it's just the anxiety) to go there  .

 

But today i saw an ad for a part time Technical Support job and it looks very good but there are some things that i don't know very well like setting up printers on a network, manage outlook accounts, etc and the ask for like a year of experience. I have a fair knowledge of software and hardware maintenance, should i give it a try?  i would appreciate any tips or what i should keep in mind too.  

[Nuluvius]

8 hours ago, Space_Shift said:

So right now i'm just looking for what i could do for work in this last month of summer vacations, i was thinking to apply on a Office Max store but for some reason i don't feel motivated (or maybe it's just the anxiety) to go there  .

You are most likely not built for that kind of work; this is what I eluded to before in that it takes a special breed of person to be able to do that type of job and not go off the rails.

8 hours ago, Space_Shift said:

But today i saw an ad for a part time Technical Support job and it looks very good but there are some things that i don't know very well like setting up printers on a network, manage outlook accounts, etc and the ask for like a year of experience. I have a fair knowledge of software and hardware maintenance, should i give it a try?  i would appreciate any tips or what i should keep in mind too.  

Of course you should try. As long as you come across confident and enthusiastic it may be enough to bridge the experience gap.

[mrchow19910319]

I think within 1 or 2 months all these feeling will go away. 

It is hard, for someone new to work at the cashier. 

I did not do it very often when I was hired by a small supermarket. 

 

[dalekphalm]

When working as a Cashier at places like a Grocery Store or a Convenience Store/Gas Station, your best bet is to do this:

 

Ignore EVERYONE in line except the person at the front. You deal with the person in front of you, do the best you can, and not worry about how many people are in line.

 

Now, of course, if there are other people you can call on to help if you get too many people in line, remember to do that as needed, but don't stress about a long lineup.

 

Next, is: SLOWWWW DOOOOWWWNNNNNN. Half the reason you made those mistakes, is because you were in a rush to finish the transaction as soon as possible. You need to slow it down, to make sure you're doing the job right. A customer would rather you took 3 minutes to ring in their items correctly, as opposed to doing it in 2 mutes and 15 seconds, yet you forgot the pack of gum they had off to the side of the counter.

 

Being quick and efficient is good. But you need to master the job first. Be good at the job before trying to be fast at the job. In a convenience store, that shouldn't be too big of an issue, since most convenience stores aren't exactly known for being super duper quick anyway. You want super fast checkouts? Go to the grocery store.

[Nuluvius]

14 hours ago, dalekphalm said:

When working as a Cashier at places like a Grocery Store or a Convenience Store/Gas Station, your best bet is to do this:

Find something better to do with your life.

[dalekphalm]

6 hours ago, Nuluvius said:

Find something better to do with your life.

That seems like a rather strange comment.

 

You DO want grocery stores and convenience stores to exist, yes? Yes.

 

Okay, now that we've established that, someone has to work them. Not everyone can get high paying "white collar" jobs, that require advanced degrees from a university. In fact, that's a problem many young people are finding - they finish University and find out there's no demand for their skills, and end up working at Starbucks anyway.

 

Not to mention, you need to build work experience and skills, before you can get a good job (unless you're stupid lucky and/or know someone who can just hand you a job you didn't earn). Places like Grocery stores, convenience stores, fast food restaurants, retail clothing outlets, etc, are great places to build experience, while you're in high school, or going to college/university.

 

I'm not ashamed that I've worked at 2 different fast food restaurants, and a cafe. Nor should anyone else. If you decide to make a career out of that kind of work? Sure, that's your choice. But most people who work at these places aren't even making careers out of it, they're just young and need a job - any job.

 

I'd rather someone work at McDonald's then sit on their ass at home on welfare.

[ConneelyS]

19 hours ago, dalekphalm said:

I'd rather someone work at McDonald's then sit on their ass at home on welfare.

^^^^^^^

This is so damn true !

[Nuluvius]

22 hours ago, dalekphalm said:

That seems like a rather strange comment.

 

You DO want grocery stores and convenience stores to exist, yes? Yes.

 

Okay, now that we've established that ...

Oh my how obnoxious! 

22 hours ago, dalekphalm said:

... someone has to work them. Not everyone can get high paying "white collar" jobs, that require advanced degrees from a university. In fact, that's a problem many young people are finding - they finish University and find out there's no demand for their skills, and end up working at Starbucks anyway.

 

Not to mention, you need to build work experience and skills, before you can get a good job ... Places like Grocery stores, convenience stores, fast food restaurants, retail clothing outlets, etc, are great places to build experience, while you're in high school, or going to college/university.

By your own logic there will be an ever present turnover of people to keep these kind of places running therefore there's no danger of them ceasing to exist any time soon.

 

My point was simply that one should never accept the belief that this particular kind of life may be all that's attainable; fine if one enjoys it, but if it leads to depression and anxiety then that's a clear signal that something is very wrong and not likely to improve given any length of time. Life is far too short for any of that...

 

You even elude to that by essentially saying that it's a stepping stone to many i.e. Finding something better to do with one's life.

22 hours ago, dalekphalm said:

(unless you're stupid lucky and/or know someone who can just hand you a job you didn't earn).

I don't agree there since I've experienced 'stupid lucky' on enough occasions to understand that it's ok as long as the value is appreciated. Moreover I'll be attempting to do this exact thing for my kids. I won't be saving them from any reasonable hardship (there are valuable lessons to be learned in that) but I will be providing them with the opportunities that I never had access to when I was young.

22 hours ago, dalekphalm said:

I'd rather someone work at McDonald's then sit on their ass at home on welfare.

Oh most certainly! I just love saying: "Go flip them burgers you lazy bastard". Although it seems to get edited out each time I do so 

22 hours ago, dalekphalm said:

I'm not ashamed that I've worked at 2 different fast food restaurants, and a cafe. Nor should anyone else. If you decide to make a career out of that kind of work? Sure, that's your choice. But most people who work at these places aren't even making careers out of it, they're just young and need a job - any job.

No shame to be found at all. In the early part of my life I was a delivery driver for ~5 years then I ran my own department in the same company for ~2 years. When I did decide to return to education I was quite literally wiping arses to get through the first financial stages.

[dalekphalm]

4 hours ago, Nuluvius said:

Oh my how obnoxious! 

By your own logic there will be an ever present turnover of people to keep these kind of places running therefore there's no danger of them ceasing to exist any time soon.

 

My point was simply that one should never accept the belief that this particular kind of life may be all that's attainable; fine if one enjoys it, but if it leads to depression and anxiety then that's a clear signal that something is very wrong and not likely to improve given any length of time. Life is far too short for any of that...

 

You even elude to that by essentially saying that it's a stepping stone to many i.e. Finding something better to do with one's life.

I don't agree there since I've experienced 'stupid lucky' on enough occasions to understand that it's ok as long as the value is appreciated. Moreover I'll be attempting to do this exact thing for my kids. I won't be saving them from any reasonable hardship (there are valuable lessons to be learned in that) but I will be providing them with the opportunities that I never had access to when I was young.

Oh most certainly! I just love saying: "Go flip them burgers you lazy bastard". Although it seems to get edited out each time I do so 

No shame to be found at all. In the early part of my life I was a delivery driver for ~5 years then I ran my own department in the same company for ~2 years. When I did decide to return to education I was quite literally wiping arses to get through the first financial stages.

I agree with most of your points.

 

I've highlighted one point in particular. I agree. I do not believe that someone should just "accept" that those low level jobs are all that they can attain. However, if someone does end up working those kinds of jobs or makes a career out of it, often they feel ostracized by family and friends, and society looks down upon such low jobs. And that's not fair. Someone has to do it, therefore it should still command respect.

 

I personally feel like everyone can benefit from working one of those kinds of jobs at least once in their life. Even if that experience only allows them to discover that they aren't really meant for that kind of job.