Struggle with job/life?

guest2046046 — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 08:55:08 GMT

Hello everyone,

I hope everyone is doing ok.

I am putting up a post here to discuss a few things. I have previously struggled with depression, which was especially severe during my last few years of high school. Now that I am out of high school, I had thought that things would improve but unfortunately they have not really overall. I know that there are so, so many people with other problems more severe than mine but I thought maybe putting up a post would help me feel a little better. I thought that I wanted to go into the vet nursing industry and after securing an amazing opportunity at a vet clinic to get paid whilst learning skills and experiencing what it is like in the industry as well as studying, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. I am so grateful to have received this opportunity, but I can't help but think that it should have gone to someone else. I have grown to dread every single shift I am scheduled onto, and my hours have been reduced, giving me a lot less pay to live off and causing quite a bit of stress because I feel I am not earning enough money each week, and I don't think I can afford to go to therapy to help myself work through this. On top of this, I had thought before working at the clinic that it was going to be based around the pets and supporting surgery, cleaning, etc. however I am answering phones and dealing with customers at reception a lot, whilst feeling a bit discouraged after my co-workers have made some subtly discouraging comments to me. I am an introvert and have developed a bit of anxiety around constantly talking to people, which I think has made me a bit worse of a receptionist. I know I should not be complaining about this and I feel terrible complaining but, doing that sort of extroverted reception work & also having the euthanasias impact me more than I thought it would, and I have stayed for at least 5 months to see if things would get better. Even though I could push through & continue working there, it still feels a bit terrible. I am beginning to become tired and very much numb to everything and don't really have any feelings about it except for a bit of dread knowing I have to work another shift this week. Am I just having some anxious feelings associated with the shifts and it is an unconscious response now that I should try to reverse and push through? Otherwise I have tried job searching, but it is so hard to get a job, and most seem very customer based

Sorry for the long post.

I appreciate any comments. 🙂

Re: Struggle with job/life?

Sophie_M — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 06:11:43 GMT

Hi Guest2046046,

We’re glad to see you back 😊
Firstly, congratulations on receiving this opportunity. Both feelings of excitement and anxiousness are valid. It sounds like it is something that means a lot to you, and when something means a lot to us, the stakes feel even higher.

Anxiouness at work is something a lot of us can relate to, but when you feel it interfering with your wellbeing and life even when you are not there, it is a clue that things are feeling unsustainable as they stand currently. It sounds like things as they are at the moment are feeling unsustainable. That is by no means a personal shortcoming – it is undoubtedly an intense, emotionally-draining job.

If you continue to stay, is there anything that you could do (or anyone you could speak with) to make things even a little easier? If you left, what types of roles could you explore that you think would highlight your strengths? Even writing a list of things you enjoy and are good at can be a nice way to reflect and connect with those parts, which can often feel very distant when we’re feeling burnt out and anxious.

If you are interested, there are some resources on the Beyond Blue website around burnout and mental health in the workplace, including a burnout check-in tool to help see where you’re at, and next steps to take.

How has this week been for you? Showing up is not easy, and to have been doing this for five months is truly a huge achievement.

Take good care of yourself, Guest2046046. Hopefully the weekend ahead can give you some extra space to yourself 💙

Kind regards
Sophie M

topic Struggle with job/life? in Staying well

Struggle with job/life?

Re: Struggle with job/life?