advertisement
Reply
Thread Tools Display Modes
TheLifeFantastic
Member
 
TheLifeFantastic's Avatar
TheLifeFantastic Loading...
 
Member Since: Apr 2015
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 72
8 yr Member
23 hugs
given
Default May 15, 2022 at 10:42 AM
  #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?
TheLifeFantastic is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
Yaowen
 
Thanks for this!
Skeezyks

advertisement
Skeezyks
Disreputable Old Troll
 
Skeezyks's Avatar
Skeezyks has no updates.
 
Member Since: Oct 2015
Location: The Star of the North
Posts: 32,762 (SuperPoster!)
8 yr Member
17.4k hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Smile May 15, 2022 at 01:38 PM
  #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)
Skeezyks is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Hugs from:
Yaowen
 
Thanks for this!
Yaowen
Yaowen
Grand Magnate
 
Yaowen's Avatar
Yaowen has no updates.
 
Member Since: Jan 2020
Location: USA
Posts: 3,618 (SuperPoster!)
3 yr Member
6,475 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default May 15, 2022 at 01:55 PM
  #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!
Yaowen is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
TheLifeFantastic
Member
 
TheLifeFantastic's Avatar
TheLifeFantastic Loading...
 
Member Since: Apr 2015
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 72
8 yr Member
23 hugs
given
Default May 21, 2022 at 05:12 PM
  #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?
TheLifeFantastic is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:10 AM.
Powered by vBulletin® — Copyright © 2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.



 

My Support Forums

My Support Forums is the online community that was originally begun as the Psych Central Forums in 2001. It now runs as an independent self-help support group community for mental health, personality, and psychological issues and is overseen by a group of dedicated, caring volunteers from around the world.

 

Helplines and Lifelines

The material on this site is for informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment provided by a qualified health care provider.

Always consult your doctor or mental health professional before trying anything you read here.