Shop staff, pharmacy workers etc how do you deal with the anxiety?

[marvellousnightforamooncup]

I'm not including NHS hospital workers as that must be off the scale and I'm so grateful to you.

I work in the village pharmacy. My husband is 60 and I have a immune suppressed child. I'm so anxious every day but I'm also needed for extra shifts. I'm toying with living in the spare room but also think it might be too late.

How is everyone? How are you coping?

Shop worker here. Now we've started a one out one in policy it's better. A few fuckwits arguing about how they should have more milk and bread, I'm not paid enough to argue so I just get the supervisor or management. I was off work this week for holiday but volunteered to work my normal shift one day, I'm getting stuff for people who can't get out/ in quarantine/ old/ blind neighbor etc, trying to do my bit. I've got a fatalistic attitude tbh, keep smiling and keep washing your hands!

I don't work in a shop and I have only been shopping a couple of times in the last week for fresh stuff, but I had a woman come right up to me to ask a question whilst we were queuing outside aldis - all several feet apart. I walked away from her then answered her question. Dummy.
Also why aren't all check out staff wearing gloves? I suffer from cold hands so I wear them all the time now, so I totally notice this. They're all so exposed .

Totally peopled out. The sheer stupidity and selfishness of people has astonished me and I’ve worked in retail for years, I thought I had a pretty high tolerance for idiots. This last month has proved me so wrong.

The worst part? The customer who, upon being told something isn’t available, gives this look of disbelief and states ‘Well I need it’. As if that statement will make me magically produce said item from out of thing air! What part of out of stock, completely unavailable isn’t clear? I appreciate people need medications etc but if the entire country decides to need the same items the supply chain simply can’t keep up!

Mostly coping by thinking that most customers won't have coronavirus, most customers are keeping their distance, and I'm washing my hands a thousand times a day, touching things as little as possible and never touching my face. I'm doing everything that I can to avoid getting it.

I had 'what do you suggest I do then?' from somebody who needed toilet roll we didn't have. Was tempted to say 'use a towel?'

Also in a pharmacy. This past week has certainly been better than the week before.

We have a small shop - so one customer at a time, with queuing outside - fine now, when it is sunny, there may be a shock coming for customers that it stays the same in the rain!

"I have just come from the doc - they have emailed it to you... only 7 items...including this really rare hard to get dressing and HRT that is out of stock everywhere - I left it 20minutes..."

hahahahahaha.... you have to laugh... (or go cry in the toilet...)

I'm a mental health worker, working with people who are respecting none of the protocols for covid.... I allow myself a little cry every now and then and remind myself that the chest tightness is just stress not illness

I find that it takes me a long time to relax after a shift and I’m not sleeping very well from the anxiety of what we face on a daily basis. It’s certainly not worth the shocking pay.

I’d like to think that retail staff will be better thought of and have better working conditions after all this. I won’t hold my breath though.

I’m not sleeping either. The sheer stress of being at work means I can’t make my mind rest. I’m already dreading Monday, not because I’ll be a work as such but because of the sheer stupidity of people that I’ll have to deal with.

At work I lock myself in the bathroom and clean it furiously and cry. At home I just cry.

Can I ask if any of you are doing anything particular about uniform?
Are you bunging it in the machine daily, changing at work or is it not that worrying? I know the virus doesn't survive long on fabric but I'm feeling anxious about bringing it home with me.

I strip a layer at the back door and put my pharmacy uniform directly in the wash. My utility room is at the back door so it's easy. I also wash my hands and face.

Fandoozle, I'm walking away too. ASAP.

Today I had a family of 5 come into the pharmacy )despite having several signs saying no more than 4 customers in the shop at a time) for essential makeup wipes. They had just come from the bakery where they had got essential cheese straws....

A customer was using the scan as you go machine and had nine packets of mozzarella balls ffs. We are limiting items. I explained to her so she just dumped them all with the milk. I was so tempted to ask her to return them to the correct aisle.

I'm too tired to be anxious.

I'm so sorry some of the customers are stupid, and disrespectful. Please don't abandon us! Thank you so much for what you are doing to help all if us, we would be lost without you.

Honestly, its like the fucking Darwin Awards out there...

My patience and tolerance has all but gone. I get everyone who comes into the pharmacy is scared and wants to be out as quickly as possible but due to everyone ordering every item on their repeat slip several weeks early we're days behind and short staffed due to self isolation and shielding. I'm sorry if its not ready but I've worked 60-70 hour weeks for a month, and your apologies after shouting at me are not enough. I will call the duty manager and have you permanently barred from the shop if you don't treat me and my team with respect. There is a long list building up of people who will not get any extra help when things return to normal. I will not be chasing your missing prescription, phoning round to see if your item is in stock anywhere else, dropping things in on my way home or staying 20 mins late because you've just left the doctors and won't make it to the pharmacy before we shut with your urgent script.

Thank you so much for what you are doing.

I wonder, when this is over, whether society will re-evaluate how we value what people do? Because there needs to be some sort of recognition as to what, really, is important.

On the frontline working for a bank. People paying in cheques for £3.50, when they've got £10k plus in their current accounts
People saying "I love your new way of doing things. Why have you changed your system to one in, one out?"
Seriously????

@HeartyGreenSalad we’re still doing it at our store

I don't bother changing my uniform and washing it every day. I live alone and reckon that, if I've been that close to exposure I'm going to get it anyway. No one else is at risk and the dog doesn't care.

I'm a mental health worker, working with people who are respecting none of the protocols for covid.

I too work in mental health. I was concerned that when we went "no visitors" there would be problems but everyone has been ok about that. They just bring in food and stuff that staff collect from them.

Mind you it is the staff I see chatting in groups!