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I can’t keep a job

Anxie
Community Member

I have social anxiety and I find it really hard to keep a job. I get panic attacks which make me freeze, I’m nervous and come out as weird to people. I have concentration problem’s and I’ve realised I forget about details so quick maybe because being nervous makes it hard to process information.  I’ve just really lately started to feel like I can’t succeed in this world. Does anyone have similar feelings or experiences? I’m starting to feel like giving up.  I haven’t been able to keep any job for long or fit in anywhere in my whole life. 

3 Replies 3

Mark Z.
Community Champion
Community Champion

Hi Anxie,

 

I'm sorry for you challenge, and I do understand your feelings.

I think there might be two ways to go.

 

First way is to choose a profession that requires less social skills. Some of the professions allow your work speak for itself, such as architect, artist, novelist, programmer, gardener, etc. Some of the profession requires a lot of communication but not necessarily to be stressed due to the nature of helping others, such as swimming or piano teacher for children, barista, etc.

 

Second way is to face the challenge and find ways to overcome. Actually you are not so 'weird' as you think. Practice in front of a mirror or a camera will be very helpful. Asking your close friends or colleagues to give feedback is also a good idea. There are other tips such as meditation and deep breathing exercises. If you feel too hard to handle yourself, you can seek professional support including seeing a psychologist.

 

Of course, you can combine the above two ways, and exercise your coping ability while choosing a career with less challenges. 

 

But anyway, there's one thing you need to do, which is to take care of your physical health and live a quality life.  For example, aim for seven to eight hours sleep each night, and 150 mins per week of aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, eat healthy food, etc. Your physical health will have very positive impact to your mental health and help reduce the stress.

 

Hope it helps a bit and everything will be better.

Mark

 

 

Matilda99
Community Member

Hi,

I just wanted to let you know that you're not alone! I experience the same thing and often feel embarrassed about the fact that I haven't been able to keep a job for the exact reasons you have described. After years of struggling with this I have decided to get help from a professional. While I haven't started with my treatment plan yet I'm excited to see if it will help me. I wish you all the best and know that we both can get through this!

chociloni
Community Member

Hi Anxie, I agree you may not be as weird as you think. You also might not be in the right profession. I've had a lot of jobs too, it made my resume look kind of flakey. One thing I did was hire a resume writer and explain my situation, he wrote up my resume perfectly, I even told him I suffered from anxiety. It worked really well and my resume made a lot more sense and I got better interviews and jobs 🙂