Hi everyone, first time posting but I have been visiting the forums for many years now.
I've been struggling with something that only arises in work situations, specifically during team meetings. I find that I am unable to speak, not for fear of being 'exposed' or ridiculed, but because my brain seems to process things incredibly slowly. I feel that I only partially understand what's being discussed, and that I struggle to grasp the various 'big picture' issues raised by my colleagues. This is a problem I've had at every workplace, and it feels like it's getting worse.
For context, I have been working in my current field for 5-6 years. Owing to the volatility of my sector, I have had about 12 jobs over this time. As such, I am a perpetual newbie. I also tend to be quite concrete and detail-oriented in how I process information, which I'm beginning to think is not useful in many of these workplaces.
This inability to keep up with my colleagues and contribute to discussions is incredibly frustrating, and I sometimes find myself in tears after group meetings. I have been encouraged time and again to speak my mind, but the truth is that my brain empties as soon as the meeting begins and it's very hard for me to retrieve anything beyond a 'yes' or 'no'. What's more, if I do get an idea I can never string it together in a coherent sentence.
Has anybody else experienced this problem? If so, do you have any recommendations on how to manage it? I realise that external factors aren't causing me to react like this, but I am also considering whether I'd be better suited to a different line of work entirely.
Thanks for your time 🙂
