How do I cope with permanent jobs?

Hi Andrew, I too have same prob with extreme anxiety. I worked in busy court office very demanding, eventually had to resign due to stress, went back to work last year couple of days per week, same company but in a less demanding roll and yet the anxiety is still there. I seem to have developed social anxiety & my job involves interviewing clients. I get pain in chest with tension, arms go rigid, hyperventilate, I havd interview this week for an other job on company & thinking of not going. Think we'll just need to accept that we're like this just now & just try & do normal things as much as possible. Everyone gets anxious it's just that people like us hold onto negative thoughts really tight.... Let them go & just laugh about the symptoms, don't give them much notice, just let them be there & continue doing what u want to do. Stop over thinking " what will others think of me" who cares anyway?

Hope you start to feel better soon. Start enjoying life 😃

Hi Andrew

My 1st port of call would be to see a Dr

There's a pattern in your work history

Because of the anxiety / stress

i would sort that out 1st

I went through this also when I worked for a Newspaper with demanding deadlines. I was actually able to keep working for them from home. I would go in once a week and pick it all up. Go home and type it all up, and fax it in. Is there any way for you to do your work from home? As long as you have the program, data entry can be done from anywhere. A lot of companies actually prefer this, as they can cut down on office space and overhead. Just a thought

I think you need to see an employment counsellor who can best advise you about how to deal with interviews. The techniques you will learn are more about what you can offer for employment with a willingess to learn new information. You have to come across as positive and keen to start a job that will make you happy. You have to delete the baggage and start again. This will need practise and the right help to support you through this process. Good luck.

I am a qualifed Occupational Therapist that is interested to help people with anxiety problems, as my father had severe anxiety and I have suffered my fair share of it. I tell people to start using deep breathing relaxation techniques through meditation or yoga. It really works and when you get into a stressful situation, diaphragmatic breathe and you will start to feel much better. Your symptoms will start to subside and you will think with greater clarity.

Take hold of your anxiety and learn to control it. Medications provide minimal help. You need to control it yourself and learning to breathe properly is the first step. Then listen to relaxing music that can take you into a sheltered and comfortable space where you can feel safe and learn how to control your symptoms.

If you are not able to do it yourself, then join a relaxation/yoga/meditation group as one of these groups will teach you how to relax and take ownership of your inner body. Please try this Andrew and you will feel the difference it will make.

Otherwise you will be running round in circles like "a chicken with your head cut off" and going nowhere! Trust me, I have been through it and it has  been my saviour with my anxiety.

I also took up physical activity as in cycling and joined a group to do time trial racing. You could try running instead and this gets all the natural endorphins working in your body, which will also make you feel better. Good luck and I wish you well! Gail