Is it normal to be this anxious at work?

LegacyUser

Hey, I just started work experience a few days ago in a salon. On my second day I was at reception dealing with customers and the phone. I get so anxious to the point I'm shaking. I can't even concentrate properly on what the person on the phone is saying because I'm so nervous. At one point I felt like I was going to have a panic attack, I just wanted to run away from the place and I was having palpitations. I just felt like crying.


I'm already an anxious person but this can't be normal. I thought about the fact if I can't hold down a job because of my anxiety then what's the point in living. I looked up social anxiety before and I'm pretty sure I have some form of it but I've never been diagnosed.

Does anyone have any advice or is it normal to be feeling this way?

Fakediamond

New jobs are stressful but you are having strong reactions. You could have a chat with your G.P. about your anxiety. Also, look up some online resources for managing stress/anxiety.

Don't be hard on yourself in these early days, you're probably trying to make a good impression but it takes time to learn the duties in a new job. Just take a deep breath before answering the phone, keep pen and paper handy and, if unsure about anything, ask a friendly member of staff or your manager. People want to help and they had a first day too when they didn't know everything and had to frequently ask questions, it's not a sign of inability to do the job!

Also, consider if a frontline role is for you, not everyone likes dealing with the public in this way.

Good luck!

LegacyUser

I don't really like dealing with the public but I have no choice in this area of work. It drains me having to deal with customers for hours non stop everyday. I find it really uncomfortable. I'm not a people person, I can be friendly but constant interaction makes me anxious. A lot of the time if I need help, no one is available. I'm just not sure if my anxiety is normal or not. Everyone else around me seems to be doing fine but i'm struggling with it.

Fakediamond

It's your first week, try not to be too hard on yourself. I can imagine it's a busy place and I know what you mean about the public being draining!

What drew you to this kind of work?

feardeas

Anxiety at work is pat of the course. I've had it and still do after 12 years in the same career and setting.

I know someone in hairdressing who was extremely anxious at the beginning. It gets less as time passes. Good luck with it all.

cml387

Is it just work experience?

Bear in mind there are many,many jobs that don't require dealing with the public, and that may suit you in future.

And don't think you're the only one who is stressed dealing with the public.
The public can be right ***holes at times and you'd be odd if it didn't get you down.

TheIronyMaiden

Is this your first job OP? I used to be the exact same as you - a few years ago I got a job in a call centre and hated every minute of it, not necessarily the job but the dealing with customers bit. I used to sit there in the evenings thinking up plausible excuses not to go into work the next morning! But I stuck with it and slowly but surely my confidence built and now there's no bother at all! It will happen for you too OP. Exposure to things like that helps in the long run!

Lux23

Is hairdressing really for you if you do not like dealing with people?

Although when I was younger I used to be the same, a few weeks into my first public facing job and I got over it.

Ursus Horribilis

Anonymous4567 wrote: »

Hey, I just started work experience a few days ago in a salon.

Is this your first experience with a proper workplace?
As the others have pointed out, a lot of people are nervous when they're starting out working. I used to dread the telephone I had to answer in my first job. With good reason I might add - I sometimes had narky people on the other end of the line giving out stink about my employers. I'm not going to say who they were but they had good reason Somewhere along the line it stopped bothering me. I can't remember when but I think a mixture of maturity and gaining work experience helped.

Why exactly are you nervous? Are you getting angry people shouting at you down the phone? Correct me if I'm wrong but surely most calls you're taking are from people who want to make an appointment or ask a more general question related to the services the salon offers? Did you have a bad experience elsewhere that is making you panic like this?

I'm already an anxious person but this can't be normal. I thought about the fact if I can't hold down a job because of my anxiety then what's the point in living. I looked up social anxiety before and I'm pretty sure I have some form of it but I've never been diagnosed.

For starters, if you think you're suffering from anxiety then contact your GP and set about getting a proper diagnosis. Not something you've read on the internet or a magazine. There is help out there and you would benefit from it.

Secondly, if you feel you can't cope with a job that involves dealing with the public then it's time to investigate jobs that don't involve front facing contact. I work in a job that doesn't involve dealing with the public and it's something I'm eternally grateful for. Don't make any decisions without going to your GP and getting proper help first though.

Skibunny77

Op, if you have researched social anxiety and identify with the symptoms, please go to your Gp. A combination of medication and CBT, sometimes solely CBT works wonders. Your anxiety levels are unlikely to change without help.

LegacyUser

Op here. About the anxiety I'm not really sure if I have it or not but I wouldn't really be comfortable going to my gp about it so I think i'll just deal with it myself.

I don't really know why I'm nervous to be honest. I haven't had a bad experience with it yet I just get uncomfortable dealing with strangers. I've never liked talking on a phone. I'm not naturally outgoing or talkative so I find it really hard to do this. And I'm not really sure what other jobs don't involve dealing with the public?

Ursus Horribilis

Anonymous4567 wrote: »

Op here. About the anxiety I'm not really sure if I have it or not but I wouldn't really be comfortable going to my gp about it so I think i'll just deal with it myself.

It's a crying shame that there is such a stigma regarding mental health in this country. When people break a leg or sustain a bad cut, they don't think twice about going to the doctor. Yet if they need help with anxiety or other issues they won't go.

It's highly likely that your GP has had many patients coming to him/her about anxiety. There is no shame in asking for help. I would consider it to be an extremely brave thing to do. If you don't want to go to your regular GP, would you consider going to one in another town? I think it is a real pity that you're ruling out a course of action that will really help you.

What do you have to lose by looking for help? There are trained professionals out there who will give you the tools to deal with your anxiety and help you.

I like to think that you starting this thread here means that you want help. Wouldn't you like to live in a world where the phone doesn't terrify you and that you can go into work in the morning and not feel a knot in your stomach?

pookie82

Anonymous4567 wrote: »

Op here. About the anxiety I'm not really sure if I have it or not but I wouldn't really be comfortable going to my gp about it so I think i'll just deal with it myself.

Please just speak to your GP. The reason you posted here is that you're not coping with it, which is fine! And more common than you have occasion to believe. A friend of mine works with a very well known global company and saw her company doctor recently for a routine prescription. After a chat she realised she was suffering with severe anxiety ... something her doctor told her he sees in every second employee, week on week. Thinking that you can deal with it yourself is what might get you into a bigger hole than you're in now.

Anonymous4567 wrote: »

I don't really know why I'm nervous to be honest. I haven't had a bad experience with it yet I just get uncomfortable dealing with strangers. I've never liked talking on a phone. I'm not naturally outgoing or talkative so I find it really hard to do this. And I'm not really sure what other jobs don't involve dealing with the public?

Countless office jobs involve minimal contact with the public. You will most likely have to interact with teams, colleagues and managers whatever you do, though, unless you set up your own business working from home. Therefore, now is a good time to build up your interpersonal skills and working on learning coping mechanisms for your anxiety is a good first step towards that.

You sound very young. Lots of people (myself included) are not cut out for public-facing jobs, and I've been working solidly for the past 10 years. Look at it this way - it's a good thing that you're realising now what is and isn't for you!