Anxiety makes me feel awkward in job interviews

[Aak]

Hi guys.

I had a job interview last week and it didn't go so well.. due to my anxiety kicking in and making me feel awkward and stumble on my words the whole interview. I even lost my vocabulary because the anxiety is so intense and my mind is just so full. Then I go home and ask my self why I've got to suffer from anxiety and thinking of how different like would be if I wasn't diagnosed..

Does anyone else feel like this or is it just me?

[CMF]

Hi Aak and welcome,

You've come to a very supportive place here. I can assure you it's not just you. Anxiety can be debilitating but can be treated.

how long have you had anxiety for and do you know what is causing it? Is there something specific or a general feeling? Is it job interview anxiety?

Have you spoken to your GP? This would be a great start to getting some help to ove come your anxiety. Are you anxious all the time ie when at home how do you feel? Do you ear and sleep well. Do you gave anything you do when anxious like deep breathing, mindfulness, going for a walk? There is an app called 'smiling mind' which can help you relax and may be worth a try. But talking to your GP would be the way to go.

cmf

[Aak]

Hi cmf, thanks for your reply :).

I was diagnosed with anxiety at the age of 14 and now I'm 21.. still suffering. Going to my job interview and being put on the spot with questions made me feel really anxious and unsettled. Knowing that I've got to present myself well with my speech made my anxiety go up and I just went blank and started to over think about every aspect. I try to take deep breaths in and out when I feel like I'm having a panic/anxiety attack but it only helps for a little while until anxiety starts taking its toll on me again. 😞

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi Aak,

Thanks for your post.

A lot of us here struggle with anxiety so you're not alone.

It's interesting that you say that you wonder how different your life would be if you weren't diagnosed - why is that? For most people, a diagnosis is a good thing in that it explains that what we're going through is normal and even though panic/anxiety attacks can feel very scary nothing bad is happening to us.

Have you talked to anyone about how you're feeling?

[Rhu]

Hi Aak,

You're definitely not the only one feeling like that. We here know what it's like to live with anxiety.

Do you have a counsellor or a good GP you can talk to? Often going down the road of medication and/or counselling can be really helpful to help you manage the anxiety. Distraction methods can work as well; do you have something you enjoy doing like reading or music? When you feel the panic coming on try doing something to distract yourself so you have something else to focus on.

As to the diagnosis, I personally don't think it's necessarily a 'bad' thing. Getting it diagnosed and acknowledging if is often the first step in managing your anxiety. I myself was in denial about my anxiety for a long time until I plucked up enough courage to talk about it. Talking about it to others can often reduce your fear when you realize you're not alone in the struggle. Remember we're here to help and support you through this!

Take care of yourself and let us know how you go.

Rhu

[Enda1]

Hi Aak,

I actually moved from London to Sydney almost 3 years ago ago and found myself in a very similar situation to yourself. New country, city... putting heaps of pressure on myself to find a job straight away in the financial services industry where appearance and self representation is crucial. Anxiety ruined one or two interviews for me too where I actually had to tell one interviewer I wasn't feeling well due to a flu!!

I found a centred meditation group which has changed my life since moving here. You might think "oh here we go with the fluffy meditation rubbish" but it really has changed my life. It immediately calmed me down, slowed down my thoughts and got my thought process into a slower rhythm so I don't immediately spiral into panic the moment I'm put under the spotlight answering questions in an interview.

It's like it resets your baseline level of anxiety to a lower level so that when you do incur stress (as we all do in our day to day lives) it doesn't hit the red zone.

Trust me you won't regret it!! I really don't know myself since going there. I went there intensely to begin with and have backed off now as I'm in a much better headspace.

Hope this helps!