Anxiety at work - making mistakes

[TigerLily40]

So I work in healthcare and can struggle with anxiety / confidence. I have started CBT and do some counselling so trying to work through it.

My main issue is ruminating over mistakes that I make (especially when I should know what I was meant to be doing) and building scenarios what might happen as a result etc...Very negative thinking.

I admit I worry too much what others think and convinced they think I am useless and stupid if I make a mistake or say the wrong thing to a service user etc...I honestly just want to leave work.

Just feels like it won't get better. Anyone else feel this way or have done? Any tips what else I can do? I wouldn't judge others for making mistakes but I am my harshest critic.

Hi, I’ve just started a thread about trying to get out of healthcare because I’m just like this and it’s getting out of hand. I have come to the conclusion that it’s not me who needs to change, it’s the job.
I’ve come to realise that I want to do a perfect job at work, and in healthcare it’s impossible as there is so much that is a) unknown b) out of your control c) the pressures and demands do nothing to help me think clearly and rationally.
Maybe like me you’ve always been a bit of an anxious person? I think it’s a terrible mix with healthcare where you constantly fear you’ve caused something harm.
Well done for trying to work out how to change things, it’s such a horrible place to be.

@TigerLily40 Sorry to hear you're feeling upset about this. Are you new to Healthcare?
Have you been given good training to help you with your job or have you just been thrown in the deep end?

I've always had anxiety and just feel anxiety gets worse

I have worked in healthcare for years now but maybe just put too much pressure on myself or just care too much. I should know better by now to be honest.

Do you ridicule your colleagues when they make mistakes or think poorly of them forever more?

Not at all. Maybe thought wow if they made a big mistake but forgot about it. But never like this for myself.

But that's my point. I promise you no one thinks poorly of you. You have to keep reminding yourself of this.

It's so hard not to, I just want to do a good job but feel I just don't especially when I make mistakes.

Everyone makes mistakes, it's called being human. If we didn't make mistakes we'd never learn anything. Imagine that the voice in your head was muted - it couldn't speak, lost it's ability to talk. How much external criticism would you get each day? Very little would be my guess. So who's voice is it that's talking to you so harshly - where did it start? Finding the root cause of anxiety and low self esteem is the best way of eliminating them.

Completely understand this and you're not the only one that's for sure. I'm an over worrier/thinker and have anxiety about everything.
When I would make mistakes at work it would ruin my day, especially if my witch boss thrived on it. The only thing that worked for me is training myself to not care about anything, easier said than done, but I always told myself there are worse things that can happen and it's not the end of the world. Since I've had a baby I care way less about things and when I go back to work I'm going to be a different person because I realise it's really not that big of a deal. Hope it goes well for you OP, big hugs x

I've always had this voice (not hallucination) telling me this. Ever since I was a child. Had a mother and sister who bullied me. Really affected my self esteem

Had a mother and sister who bullied me. Really affected my self esteem

I guessed as much. One trick is to think of their comments and nastiness as seeds they planted. If you don't water them, they will die. So when you hear those voices picture dying weeds, useless and ugly. You don't need them anymore.

No advice but I am very similar and it’s really stressing me out . Feel awful when I make mistakes and can’t stop thinking about them .

Yep, I wish I could stop caring as much.