To feel pathetic for crying at work

[user233444]

I work in retail and as you can imagine with Black Friday this week has been pretty intense. Yesterday it was busy and there was a lot of noise a baby crying, toddler screaming on and off, lots of people chatting. I suddenly felt really overwhelmed by the noise and crowds.
I managed to get a colleague to cover me whilst I ran to the loo and I just burst out crying. I used to love the build up to Christmas and the atmosphere but now I just can’t cope with it. I find myself panicking in noisy situations and I can’t seem to focus.
I feel so pathetic 😢

Maybe try some loop earphones? Think they are pretty much designed for this kind of background noise scenario.

You got overwhelmed and had a cry, that's not pathetic, it's human. Retail is hard, on your feet all day, having to be nice even to the rudest of folk and then as you say, noise and music all day long. Could you do some breathing exercises to help you cope and become calmer when out on the floor to keep you level? Go easy on yourself, you're allowed a cry without thinking you're pathetic x

My second job is working in retail. I forgot to ring a customers items through with a gift receipt.

Prior to the mistake, I already didn’t know how to do a gift receipt so she had to wait while someone quickly showed me - got the first item sorted… she was lovely and patient.

Scanned second item and forgot to press the button (need to call supervisor to come and remove the sale) and she then got super nasty and said, ‘that’s why you’re working here love, now get your supervisor and get it sorted’.

Well, I was just furious… I was taken aback by how rude she was out of nowhere… and I could feel my eyes watering… then I got annoyed at myself as I willed myself not to cry - was biting my tongue and inner of cheeks and digging my nails into my palms.

I really wanted to tell her to fuck the fuck off, and that I work here as a second job to supplement my first job as a civil servant and that I have a first class degree in social work.

Instead, I nicked off into the toilets for 5 mins as soon as my supervisor got there and burst out crying…

Felt like a right dick - especially as way back in the day I used to manage a ladies high street retail store, so I’ve dealt with nasty, CF customers before…

@ADHDmam and @user233444 the work you do in retail is incredibly hard, you have the patience of saints, and you are invaluable, so even though people don't say it as often as they should, "thank you".

When I encounter difficult or rude people, I get upset, but then I remind myself that I've enouncounterd their rudeness once, but they have to live with it for eternity, and what a miserable place they must exist in". Its their problem.

Get out of retail amd find work elsewhere

That's not helpful @BananaCocktails.
Op you are human, you got overwhelmed and had a cry. How many others in high pressure situations have done the same? I know I have. I was in a shopping centre the other day and the server was having a problems with one of her customers and have to leave the shop floor as she was visibly upset. People think retail workers, restaurant workers, hotel staff etc etc are robots.

@Alexandernevermind why? I spent my early retail career crying my eyes out at work before I finally realised it just wasn’t for me retail is really stressful -it’s hard , you’re on your feet most of the time , you often have bossy managers , you don’t really get to sit down , it’s not very well-paid For those who work on the shopfloor behind tills, I think maybe retail isn’t for her if she cannot cope in that kind of environment and there’s nothing wrong with that

Aw OP you're not pathetic....retail can be brutal.
Tomorrow is a new day xx

It happens to us all sometimes.

You aren’t pathetic at all Retail can be tough You go and have a little weep when you need to