FAQ/Help |
Calendar |
Search |
Member
Member Since Apr 2015
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 72
9 23 hugs
given |
#1
I recently got a new job doing IT, and for some reason I have been so scared about going to work. I think I know that I can do the job, but when working during my training I feel like I'm not good enough for the job, and that they will find out that I'm actually not the type of person that they where looking for.
The job seems like a right fit, but I'm worried about everything like. How will a learn how to navigate this large building, can my colleagues help me, and so much more that is running through my head. I need the money badly, but my fear is getting to the point that I don't know what to do with myself. If anyone has run into this let me know how you handled it. __________________ How is your life today? |
Reply With Quote |
Yaowen
|
Skeezyks
|
Disreputable Old Troll
Member Since Oct 2015
Location: The Star of the North
Posts: 32,762
(SuperPoster!)
8 17.4k hugs
given |
#2
Well... I'm not a mental health professional. So it wouldn't be appropriate for me to suggest whether-or-not what you're experiencing rises to the level of Imposter Syndrome. To me, as a lay-person, what you describe simply sounds like new-job jitters. Starting a new job is always (at least I think it's always) anxiety producing. Perhaps it is more-so or less-so depending on the personality of the person involved. If a person has a tendency to be anxious anyway, then of course it's likely starting a new job may be more anxiety producing than it would be for someone who is overflowing with self-confidence. (That can sometimes create problems of its own!)
Based on what you wrote, I would say just give yourself time to adjust to your new job, ask questions and request assistance as necessary (avoid overdoing this though.) Perhaps talk with a family member or trusted friend outside of work about how you're feeling. Talking it out can help. (Also get plenty of exercise to help burn off that anxiety.) And if talking with family members and / or trusted friends isn't an option for you then consider seeing a counselor or mental health therapist for a while to help to allay your fears. It sounds to me, from what you wrote, that you have the skills to do this job. You're simply experiencing those new-job jitters I mentioned above. There is, at least to my mind, something of a danger here in blowing all of this out of proportion ruminating over the possibility that you have some serious mental health condition called "Imposter Syndrome". If you make the new-job jitters you're experiencing seem serious enough you may just turn the whole situation into one of those self-fulfilling prophesies. My best wishes to you for great success on your new job! __________________ "I may be older but I am not wise / I'm still a child's grown-up disguise / and I never can tell you what you want to know / You will find out as you go." (from: "A Nightengale's Lullaby" - Julie Last) |
Reply With Quote |
Yaowen
|
Yaowen
|
Grand Magnate
Member Since Jan 2020
Location: USA
Posts: 3,618
(SuperPoster!)
4 6,475 hugs
given |
#3
I'm so sorry that you are in that situation. Although we are not the same, I have been in similar circumstances and it felt awful.
There is a technique I learned from a psychiatrist called "Embracing the Fear." It helped me a lot and still does although since we are all different, I don't know if it would be helpful to you or others. So I am going to share it as something helpful to me and NOT as advice. The idea is to embrace the fear or worry as a way of diminishing it or making it less toxic. Here is an example . . . "I love you brain, even though you are generating a fearful thought about my future at work. I love you brain, even though now you are generating fearful images about my future. I love you brain, even though now you are generating fearful thoughts that I am going to fail. I love you brain, even though now you are generating fearful images about what that failure will cause in my life. I love you brain, even though now you are generating worry about me worrying so much.' I love you brain, even though now you are generating angry thoughts at yourself because of your worry." The idea is that the brain generates a constant thought stream. We hardly notice it when we are feeling okay. But when we are feeling not so good, we notice it. If we try to push the thoughts and images in this stream away, they just keep coming back and stronger and stronger. Instead of trying to push them away, we move towards them and embrace them. This takes away their power over us. It is sort of like being in a real mountain stream where we encounter swiftly moving current. The idea is to step out of the stream and just observe it from above. Here is a worried thought. Here comes a scary image of the future. Here comes a worry about worry. Here comes a thought that worry is dangerous to us. Here comes a thought that worry will harm us because it doesn't stop. Anyway, this technique has helped me a lot. I tend to get into terrible feedback loops of worry: health worries, job worries, relationship worries, financial worries and so on. And I was in a job situation quite similar to the one you describe. Anyway . . . I apologize if I have been unhelpful to you. Hopefully others here will see your post and provide really helpful ideas to you. I hope you find a way to disarm your worries about your job and future. One of the things we human beings fear most is loss of control over our lives. The psychiatric technique I shared with you is based on the idea called "paradoxical intention." Sometimes embracing something fearful disarms it while trying to escape it makes it worse. Best of luck to you! |
Reply With Quote |
Member
Member Since Apr 2015
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 72
9 23 hugs
given |
#4
Thank you all that replied! Sorry it took me a week to write this, but it didn't take me a week to read this.
__________________ How is your life today? |
Reply With Quote |