Having Trouble Working

[comb]

It was a feat just getting to the office today. Now I'm here and can't seem to shake off my depression, and then anxiety comes in and freaks me out that I'm not doing work. How do you get through days where you just don't have the energy to be productive? I wish I could just go home sick and sleep all day. Ugh.

[ckw1]

I have that trouble also. Part of my problem is where I work. This place is full of negativity and no one is happy to be here. I know work is not supposed to be fun but if I could just find something to look forward to it would make this so much more bearable. It seems like the managers of this company are always looking to fire someone or discipline the employees. There are so many rules and regulations and if you make a mistake there is no second chance, you will be disciplined. I don't even feel like an adult when I come to work, it's so degrading.

[mysmugcat]

Not a lot. Sit it out. Caffeine .Sorry.

[DragonTears]

Oh man, I hear you. It can be so very hard to have to face people, even nice ones, let alone colleagues, tasks, time pressure, managers and chatter. I am a project manager so people look to me for instructions, answers, support, encouragement, feedback and customers complain to me and escalate their grievances...some days I just think I am going to stand up and literally walk out and never return. Just drive home and go to bed and never go back. But, of course, I can't just do that. A job is a job after all and I do need the money. Bills to pay and all that. So I try to organise my day so that I have as much control over it as I can. OK, I totally understand that it depends on the job if you have even the slightest say in your tasks. I am at the mercy of my customers and anything can pop up at any time, but I do have some control so I make sure to take my breaks, get away from my desk, go out during my lunch and not socialise. i always say I am going for a walk, which I mostly do, but sometimes I just go to a caf and have a cup of coffee and just chill and listen to my audio book.

I guess we all would like to work with something enjoyable, at least to a point. Yes, all jobs become routine and we can't all be Dolphin observers in the Maldives. But there is a point when you are so unhappy that it affects your health. Changing jobs is by all means not easy and it is not like there are loads of jobs going around, but it is worth looking around and keeping an eye on the market just in case something comes up. I sometimes think ther eis a person in a job that I would love, hating it whilst I am in a job someone else would love, hating it. Why do we do this to ourselves? I wish we could all be assessed by our personality and likes and then be recommended jobs that suit us, rather than chasing titles and money and then be unhappy for the rest of our adult lives.

I don't really have the answer, but I know how you feel. Big Hugs Xx

[Hidden]

I am lucky in that I don't have to work any more. I well remember the difficult days in an office where I was expected to perform and found it so difficult. Some days all I wanted was to go home and sleep.

I always tried to find jobs which were at least bearable and accepted that I had to work. I put most of my time and energy into my social life so that encouraged me to stay in work. And the bills of course..... x

[Windy101]

It does help a lot to be in a job that matches your personality. There are books with short personality tests in them that will help you know what jobs will work best for who you are. I would hate your job too because I'm someone who needs to be creative and have at least some control over what I do.

My suggestion is to figure this out and look for another job, while keeping your job. That is really hard to do, but at least it gives you hope that you will get out of there. If you don't look for a job, then for sure you are stuck.

Work takes so much energy from us that it's hard to remember it is NOT who we are, it is j what we do to pay the bills. You must be a very determined person to keep going to that job and I admire that. You are doing what you have to do to take care of business, and that takes a lot of inner strength and courage when you don't like the place. I wish you all the best and hope things are better very soon.

[comb]

Turns out I went out last night, drank too much, and spent most of today in bed. In a lot of ways I think I was trying to self-medicate last night. Each drink made the depression feel a little farther away. But now I'm in bed, missed work, and kind of feel like I did it on purpose just to get my wish of sleeping all day. Feeling particularly mentally ill today? I emailed a therapist though, so at least something good came out of this.

[PigLiao in reply to comb]

I am totally in the same position! I took as many sick leaves as I could to stay away from work and honestly I don't like doing so but it makes me feeling much better to stay away. I

just scheduled a session with a therapist yesterday and hopefully she will be able to give me some advices. I am trying to find other jobs at the same time but oh man it's really hard while taking care of all other things going on.

[comb in reply to PigLiao]

Yeah! I feel pathetic just being in bed but honestly I don't have the energy to do anything else. It's just nice to control a day and not go in. Do you find it hard making up excuses for sick days? Mental health days are difficult to communicate to an employer...

I'm happy to hear you're going in tomorrow! You're on your way. It will take a while to look for jobs (ugh I might be ready to do that) but I hope you find a better situation.

[PigLiao in reply to comb]

Yeah I find it hard to excuse myself from working using sick days. And especially sometimes I need make myself not looking well the next day when going to work. I hate lying to myself and my colleagues but ... I think you understand my struggles. I hope you get to feel better after talking to your therapist. Even though it's not much, I am glad we are trying to make changes in our lives. Good luck to both of us!

[comb in reply to PigLiao]

Yes good luck to both of us! Thank you for talking

[PigLiao in reply to comb]

Definitely! I am glad to find friends who understand my situation and understand how I feel here! Thank you so much!