Work Anxiety

[isthatatree]

I have a relatively standard office phone job and have been working from home since march.

My team have been furloughed so all calls and emails fall to me alone, I have previously done "harder" jobs but took this "simpler" one in view of starting a family and going back part time when we have small children then return to something more challenging depending on how it all goes.

I was enjoying it prior to all this cause I have a fab team and everyone is so supportive. Now I have been going it alone for months there is much more work and this has made me make some mistakes. I have seriously beaten myself up about them despite the fact I resolved them quickly.

Also once something goes wrong I become so focused on it I lose motivation for everything else and just want to focus on that one thing.

I now feel nervous constantly thinking something is going wrong, I can't sleep (very unlike me), i can't relax, I spend my whole weekend worrying about work. I also get this overwhelming panic out of nowhere sometimes.

I am also the queen of masking my feelings so everyone thinks i'm really go with the flow etc.

I feel like I need a break but I also worry that I will spend the entire time stressing about work! Anyone had anything similar? I feel so stupid because I know i'm overthinking but I can't stop.

You need to have a break , take it from someone that had a small stroke last week after weeks of doing too much

Gosh you sound just like me OP. Am also currently feeling out of control at work with the stress of it all. Taken on loads more responsibility during the pandemic as they've cut other posts and I've absorbed a lot of the work. I always make a huge effort in looking like I'm coping as having been made redundant in the past, I'm frightened to say I can't. Can't sleep with worries about work though and find myself anxious and shaking a lot of the day.

Not sure what the answer is but I did finally admit to my boss that I was really struggling (also recently lost a parent which hasn't helped) I've presented him with some options to change my role to make it easier for me to manage it. We'll see if anything changes.

Could you ask for any supervision or mentoring at work to help with your anxiety over getting things wrong? Is there a buddy system or someone you can chat to at work? Work stress is hard isn't it

Of course you need a break. Have you had any time off this year?

@isthatatree @GlassOfPimms

How are things going for you now? Have you found any coping methods?

I’m in a very similar position. My job shouldn’t even be stressful.

I was made redundant a few years ago and this role is in a completely different field that I transitioned to. I’ve only ever had positive feedback and my feelings are irrational. But I just can’t stop them. I don’t sleep. I find it difficult to fall asleep and then wake suddenly, remembering that I didn’t dot an i or something. And then that’s it, I’m awake and I can’t get back to sleep.

I’ve been working from home since lockdown. I started well, but workload has increased and I’ll sometimes be at it for 12 or more hours a day. Interruptions are constant - anything anyone wants to ask is via email and sometimes the chat goes on and on. There’s no plan to return to the office and the manager is pushing to remain work from home.

I’ve just had 2 weeks off. Stressed on the lead up and worked ridiculous hours to have everything covered. Took several days before I could relax and switch off from it. Then, no sooner had I started to actually feel better, sleeping, anxiety under control, and it starts again in the lead up to returning.

I’ve made some changes. Unfortunately I don’t have the space to have a designated office to close the door on. I am determined to be stricter with time. I’m planning my work so that I’ll aim to keep a day ahead. At least.
I’m allowed a break. If I spend 10 minutes in the garden - I don’t need to stay on 10 minutes. It’s a break.
I’ll take a work item and do it. Don’t be distracted by emails, or others. Complete the item I start. I worry and go over and over work, putting off sending it. I’m going to try and be more confident in my self and once checked, send.

I don’t know if this will help. It hasn’t made much of an impact so far and I’ve had a sleepless night. Anyone got any other tips or help?

@Elysi sorry to hear you're also finding things tough at work. It's really hard not having that separation of work and home space - I know that's impacting lots of people at the moment too.

Your strategies sound really positive and I hope they will start to help. Have you any MH support through your work? Our company has a staff helpline which I've found useful for offloading after a long, tough day. Saves me moaning on to DH and the kids I just want it to stop affecting my sleep as I'm just so very tired after nearly 6 months without a break.

I'm not sure whether home working will get easier in time? We're not going back into the office either as this has become a good reason for my company to cut back on expensive office space.

oh my word @isthatatree @GlassOfPimms @Elysi i'm so similar to all of you.

I've suffered with work anxiety for about 10 years, it's been awful. I usually find it's triggered by something really small and I get so consumed by it that it ruins everything in my life, sleep, apetite, sense of joy. The worst i had it was 3 nights with zero sleep, i thought i was going to die.

I've just come back after about 5 months of furlough and all the anxieties have started creeping back in. I had to go for a walk today and do some deep breathing because my chest is so tight. My anxiety is completely irrational.

You'll most likely get told lots of different ideas and ways to fix this and not all will work, it's about finding your own way of reducing these feelings. I find deep breathing helps my chest pain. Writing lists for the next day which you put next to your computer to help stop those nighttime frights.

I'm sorry i can't be much more help but i thought i'd chip in to say you're not alone, there are lots of us out there who totally understand. x x

My strategies didn’t work too well today - I totally over ran time wise. I’m not sure how I’ll ever get ahead of myself!
I’m a real list person, I write a list at the end of each day for the following as well as a week over view.

I get the sleepless nights. Far too many of them. Either I can’t sleep or I wake with a start in a panic.

I’ve taught myself some breathing exercises which help. This was after ending up with massive anxiety attacks where I couldn’t breathe. Sometimes I’d have to go and lie down.

Mines totally irrational, I guess I’m too conscientious. I lack confidence in the work I produce but have always had great feedback.

Much of my life is in free fall currently and so I think the anxiety maybe comes from a fear of losing this too.

I’ve not been in my role long, and working from home since March. It’s a temporary role, with my permanent employer. I found this role less stressful than my usual one, so already panicking about how I’ll cope when this ends.