Anxiety because of work but might be all in my head

[Mvpgtpgr]

I have the best job in the world, but I put a lot of pressure on myself because I’m ferried of making mistakes and getting fired. My boss is very difficult, narcissistic, unreasonable and absent most of the time but he tells me all the time (whenever we have the rare opportunity to speak) that I’m great and that I’m the best employees he’s ever had, yet I’m terrified of Messing up and getting fired. I work from home and I’ve never met most of my coworkers in person, and I try to get along with everyone but most interactions with them stress me out a lot. I take everything personally and internalize things too much. I take meds for depression and anxiety, which normally keep me stable. However, lately I’ve been losing my mind in this darkness I mentioned above. I truly want to get out of my own head but can’t seem to figure out how. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thank you!

[kenster1]

hey I had a similar experience on Thursday at work.i was polishing a set of drawers and was cleanining one drawer at a time.i noticed one of the drawer handles was missing and searched the whole yard looking for it to no avail.i had myself in a panic and got so wound up about it thinking I would get into trouble.i asked for a week holiday and nearly had a meltdown because of it.turned out the handle was missing all along.anxiety will hit us in different ways depending on the situation.best advice we could take is just pause a little when faced with potential situations.

[CazO46]

I know there can be a tendency to think everything might come crashing down but it rarely does. It might help to take a little bit time every day to reflect on the things that are going well so you don't get carried along by negative thoughts. Remember everyone makes mistakes at some point even your boss! Your thoughts are not you they are just thoughts xxx

[Hidden]

Perfectionism is a weakness that I am working on. It can cause extreme anxiety. When it moves in, I tell myself to get a grip. I look around and see that my coworkers don't stress about any of their careless or expensive mistakes. If I made the same mistakes, I wouldn't be able to function. I would be worried about losing my job. Why am I so different? I have an anxiety disorder that I need to control. I realize that now, so I practice self-kindness. Stop sweating the small stuff. Please learn to be kind to yourself. It's okay to make some mistakes. We really are human. When mistakes occur, let's focus on correcting what we can. Let's do it with less internal drama.

Blessings

[Mvpgtpgr in reply to Hidden]

Yes! Exactly.... you hit the nail in the head. I like your advice to practice self kindness... do you have any tips and recommendations on how to do that?

[Hidden in reply to Mvpgtpgr]

These are some of the things I do to practice self kindness:

1.Learn to say NO when you have too much on your plate. Yes, even the thought of assertiveness causes anxiety. If that is not possible, prioritize. When someone needs something, you don’t always have to drop everything so that you can help with his or her problem. I used to immediate place someone’s request in the urgent category. We stress ourselves out by doing that. Assess the situation and categorize accordingly. I use a calendar with periodic reminders to track deadlines.

2.Take a break or two. Listen to an uplifting, feel good song. A song with a message of encouragement. I even posted a song on this site not too long ago.

Read something positive and uplifting. I have quotes in my office as at glance reminders that I Am Good Enough. Sometimes I read passages from Iyanla Vanzant’s book called Until Today! Daily Devotions for Spiritual Growth and Peace of Mind. If you are interested, it’s sold on line for less than $5.

3.Challenge any negative thoughts you have about yourself. If you say or think anything negative, counter with something positive.

4.Learn to leave work at work. Once the workday is done, move on to personal things you enjoy. I stopped checking my phone for work-related email and text messages.

5.It’s okay to request a deadline extension when you have too many projects due around the same time. The worst that can happen is- they say no. If it happens, do the best you can. That’s all we can ever do.

6.Compliment yourself and/or reward yourself. Remember rewards don’t have

to negatively affect your bank account.

[b1b1b1]

Can you arrange to actually meet some of your co-workers in person from time to time - perhaps for lunch or just a visit to the office. If you know them better the interactions with them might be less stressful, and you might be able to develop little office friendships.