All,

I seem to have a problem controlling the anxiety when I am at work. It tapers off any other time and is easier to control. Anyone else have this same problem? I guess it is a control thing.

Thanks,


Tony

Yes, I have the same problem. Most of my anxiety begins at work. I am currently focusing on being positive but there is still the stress issue of dealing with difficult decisions or current market conditions.

Oh Yes!!! I start out with "I am not smart enough to do this job" then to "they are whispering, I am sure they are talking about me"
then "she gave me a funny look, what did I do". At this point I get angry and say "who are they to judge me" "I am doing the best I can, but it is not good enough" God forbid anyone trys to help me. "That idiot, thinks I don't know what I am doing" "I'll show him/her, "they are trying to sabotage me, Oh God what should I do" That kind of anxiety???

Yes. That kind of anxiety. One of my main negative thoughts is that I can't calm the anxiety down at work. Or us the skills at work. I have tried for so long and I have still not accomplished it. I feel like there is something trying to keep me anxious. Like the more I fight it, the stronger it fights back. Do you ever feel like that? I have not felt anxious at work before so I know I can do it, but why then am I having thoughts about not being able to do it???? Or thoughts about the symptoms that before did not scare me?? I feel like a dog chasing my own tail.


Tony

I can relate to this. I've just started working for a man who is hard to read and cryptic in his dealings with me and my anxiety has me thinking it's all my fault and that he's gonna fire me any minute, which, in some ways, I would almost welcome over having these feelings every day. I got laid off over 8 months ago and even though that job was stressful at times, at least I knew what my job was and what my boss expected of me. In this market I can't afford to just walk away and that feeds my anxiety even more. Anyone else feel this way?

I know what you guys mean. When I go to work, I tell myself "today I am not going to talk, just mind my own business". This last about the first 20 minutes after I have arrived, and then it starts. You know they say, just because your'e paranoid, doesnt mean that they are not out to get you. You know what, these people follow me to every job I go to. I hope this program works, because I am currently looking for another job, and I don't want to continue this pattern. Any suggestion.

I have read through this thread and I applaud each of you for being able to work. I was a school teacher in my twenties and dealt with so much anxiety (do the kids love me, do ALL the parents want their kids to be in MY room). I drove myself crazy and had to quit. I haven't really been able to go back to work since. The voices that crate worry, anxiety, and panic have robbed me of the last 13 years of a possible career. Hopefully this program can help each of us deal with the stressors of outside work.

Work can be such a source of anxiety. I have two bosses who play favorites and the behavior is so blatant it makes your stomach turn. Not being in a favored position myself and a co-worker were written up for cruising the internet to look at sites that are blocked by the company's firewall! I had never tried to surf for anything outside of work yet am being treated so unfairly and the anger and angst gets overwhelming. My anxious voices keep telling me to "just quit" or "don't go over the bosses head to HR or you'll be done here for sure" and "don't be without a job because the economy is bad and you won't find another one...and it'll put a financial strain on the household...and I'll be at home while my spouse goes off to work and I'll feel anxiety..." and of course "this is so unfair- I did nothing but keep my head down and work hard and I get treated like this just because I won't kiss up to the boss..." - exhausting! Sitting here on a Sunday I dwell on the work-week ahead and the abuses that might take place and it becomes like a 24/7 experience of misery.

Agreed - work can bring on lots of anxiety. Hopefully most of us will get at least some time off with the Holidays coming. Don/t waste a minute of that time off worrying about work! If you haven't heard the sessions on anger and assertiveness, this might be a good time to watch or listen to those tapes. If your boss is unfair, there isn't much you can do but be assertive in speaking with him/her. But it might be a good time to look at what is bothering you at work. If you are a people pleaser, you will never please this type of boss. All you can do is to do your best, focus on what you like about the job and refuse to play the guessing game about how the boss feels about you. You will waste alot of energy trying to read between the lines of what the boss says or doesn't say.
If it is too much to bear, then start looking elsewhere, but remember, there will always be bosses who don't have great leadership/people skills and coworkers who are difficult. Take the high road. Good luc!.

I can identify with a lot of these postings. Whenever an issue is addressed within our department to everyone, I immediately take ownership. I feel guilty even when I should have nothing to feel guilty about. I feel paranoid. I never feel like I am completing enough work. I have no time to get everything done. I stress out and talk (complain) about everything but I know and verbalize that the time I am taking to stress out is making productivity worse.

I think his girl is right, but I keep running into the same situations at other jobs. I think I am a part of the problem, but I don't have the skills to overcome my problem. One time I did stand up for myself. Ohhh my golly, it worked great. I wrote a letter to HR, tried to print it, but it didn't come out. What happened was that it printed up in administration. Consequently, I was called up to administration. I explained to her what I thought was going on in the department, and she agreed with me. I could have fell off my chair, but just sat there with my mouth open. Consequently life got better for me. Unfortunately my mother died. I move to Wisconsin to be with family, broke my leg, and have been on disability for a year and a half. I want someone to help my stupid self. I don't want to be part of the problem anymore, but I am not sure I know how.

I have a big problem with work-related anxiety. It starts the night before, around 7:00-8:00 pm, and I start to worry about the next day. Then the workday rolls around and I don't want to get out of bed. I start thinking about how horrible the day is going to be, how horrible my co-workers are, how horrible I am at my job, etc. I agree with pamelab's Dec. 11 post, with the worry about others talking about me, getting defensive. I have been in school for a long time, and am finally getting started in my field. I feel as though I should already be an expert, and have put a lot of pressure on myself to know everything and be perfect at every aspect of my job. Since ordering the program, I have started thinking more positively in the mornings, telling myself "today is going to be a good day." It has helped a lot, but I think just allowing myself to not be perfect at this job has helped as well. I have been putting a lot of stress on myself that my bosses have not been putting on me.

It's nice to know you are not the only one. Well, it is for me. Today I am going for an interview at a temp service. You can see where I might be now. Awww!!!!! I listened to the relaxation tape, took another gander at Session 2, and actually wrote in my journal. This actually helped a little. Today I am just going to put one foot in front of the other, and leave the results up to God. I am going to start Session 3 tomorrow. I think this program is working. Over the weekend, I did not listen to the tapes, but did check in on on-line chat. I think this program will work, but that it's something you have to work on every day. Hopefully we will all be in ship shape order soon. Let me know about your progress and I will also. Have a great day.

I WISH I HAD MY JOB TO GO TO. I WAS A P. E. TEACHER AND COACH FOR 27 YEARS. NOW THANKS TO 3 BRAIN SURGERIES I AM IN A WHEEL CHAIR AND ON DISABILITY. IT COULD BE WORSE. GOD HAS TOLD ME I WILL BE HEALED JUST DON''T KNOW WHEN SO I AM NOT DEPRESSED BUT I DO GET CLAUSTRPHOBIC.

I understand office stress! Getting out of bed is more and more difficult. While my boss is regularly exercising now and not emanating high levels of stress daily I still live with the reality that they could easily go off at any moment. I changed jobs and have retrained. Not only am I functionin in slower motion these days but I make the stupidest little mistakes on projects that I complete. When the boss reviews the work their first click reveals a mistake or something less than perfect. Add to that they tell me to something one way one time and then another the next time around.