Majorly screwed up at work. Please can someone talk me down?

[Littletinytarzanswingingfromanosehair]

Omg. Panic attack city.

I have completely messed up to the point I'm hyperventilating.

I can't go in too much as its very telling but it's basically something that hasn't been cleared by management and I've said too much.

Major mistake.

I'm looking for other jobs as we speak.

Please tell me you have done an error at work and I'm not alone.

I'm under so much pressure as it is and it's making me ill..

People are human and make mistakes. You managers included. Take a second, breathe and then tell someone above you what's happened so they can fix it. Owning up to a mistake is much better than letting it spiral without saying anything.

Nobody’s going anywhere

It potentially can be fixable but at a cost.

I work right under the MD and even though he can be lovely he also scared me as he is abrupt at the same time and says it how it is.

I know it's my fuck up and I need to adult but I hate how I can now longer cope when things tit up.

I miss my 20s when I had gumption. Not I'm a terrified little mouse.

Just breath

Your fight flight mechanism has kicked in which is making it all feel worse than it is.

Go for a brisk walk for 20 mins, it will really help calm your system down

So you’ve revealed more than you should have done to a client? It happens.

Go for that walk to clear your head, and then arrange to talk to whoever you need to report it to. Write down what you need to say, keep it to 2 or 3 factual bullet points, and focus on what you will jointly do to manage the situation. Apologise once only - there is nothing more annoying that people who over apologise.

The breathing is the important thing. You are experiencing an adrenalin surge, in which your body is reacting to a perceived threat - the trouble is it can’t tell the difference between a sabre toothed tiger and a work cockup which is why you feel so bad now. It’s not real.

People make mistakes like this all the time. The very top leaders of world countries make mistakes like this and keep their jobs (eg. justin trudeaux just invited a nazi war criminal into a huge meeting and asked everyone to give him a round of applause...and he still has his job), don't worry yourself so much!

If you are generally overwhelmed I would book some CBT with a good practitioner. No need to go through life feeling like a mouse.

I think the only way forward is to tackle it straight on. Take a deep breath and speak to your boss immediately. The longer you bottle up the worse you will feel. He can't make you feel any worse than you do already.

Totally agree with other posters. Go for a little walk, just breathe, and then speak to your manager about what has happened. It feels overwhelming right now but it is never as bad as it seems when you are in the middle of that anxious rush!

Thank you.

My head's spinning.

Really not the ideal time of year to lose my job.

Honestly best thing to do in these circumstances is go and admit your fuck up immediately. Don’t wait til it’s found, don’t blame anyone else, and set your stall out re fixing it.

Own up to it and tell your boss now. You don't wanna sit on this all weekend.

It’s true we all make mistakes. But it may be best to talk to your boss now as otherwise you wont be able to enjoy your weekend for worrying.

We all make mistakes. How you manage it is what defines you.
In my experience of management I have no issue if - someone owns it, offers up a solution (whether I use it or not) and doesn’t make the same mistake twice.

Take a deep breath and break it down into its component parts. It will be ok.

Agree!

Go to boss. Say
a) I have made mistake X. It was an accident. I understand wrong
b) Important thing now is to fix it. My ideas are abc
c) I have thought about making sure this doesn’t happen again and will do XYZ in future.
d) I am very committed to this organisation and while I understand this is bad/disappointing, I would like to work together to demonstrate my ability and commitment.

I think it is very unlikely indeed you will be fired.

also, I am very senior and “successful”. I have made LOADS of screw ups in my career. It is part of working life. It almost always turns out less bad than you expect…

This. Whatever happens, it'll be better to know than panic all weekend; and you'll win some credit back for bringing it to their attention swiftly.

That's the thing, I emailed this morning about it and no reply.

It's a case I have been working on since July and I thought I could finally box it off. Careless and over excited.

I'm not blaming this on anything but I will say being under pressure as I get older has taken a huge toll on my thinking process.

Try not to worry. Nobody can be 100% perfect all of the time.

@Thehonestybox

The very top leaders of world countries make mistakes like this and keep their jobs (eg. justin trudeaux just invited a nazi war criminal into a huge meeting and asked everyone to give him a round of applause...and he still has his job).

Really? Bloody hell!

There are a number of threads on here about work screw ups. have a look and you will see you are by no means alone. My favourite is the police office said she had driven round a large roundabout twice with sirens on managing to miss the exit both times.

Never mind emailing, get on the phone to someone who will be able to either sort it out, or at least take over with whatever it is. You will feel so much better. And nobody is losing their job over a mistake, I promise you that.

This is so true - look at some of the things on this thread from the other day:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4912421-a-time-youve-got-in-trouble-at-work-which-was-incredibly-justified