Has your anxiety ever caused you to mess up badly at work? How did you get past this?

[Chatwin88]

I'm dealing with a situation where I work in a place (it's a school) where the communication from leadership is really bad to us on the ground. Changes in schedule are not told to us, email is not used (instead things get communicated in the main office, but only if you happen to walk through it at the time things are said), co-workers are late/absent without much accountability. We don't even have an official absence/sick/tardy policy for workers and the organization has been operating for 9 months!

So all this creates a lot of confusion daily, and despite attempts to work with leadership, little has changed. The organization has done some really good work this year for the community in spite of this, but the lack of decision-making and communication from the top is really terrible.

It doesn't help with my anxiety and anger issues and a few days ago when there was a random schedule change and I was left alone without the daily support staff I usually have with a 3 min warning, I got so angry I just walked out for an hour. By the time I came back I knew I had messed up and there had been all this confusion and frustration at me for walking away from the job with no explanation or notice.

I have apologized, and the leadership apologized as well, but things are still tense. How do I get the respect back from everyone? And how do I manage my anxiety and anger in this unstable environment?

[BlueAgave]

Only thing I can say is that in my case, I've always been up front about my anxiety and panic attacks at work. I feel like if my co-workers and higher up are aware, they are more understanding. I felt like people were not upset if I had to step out for a legit reason vs just assuming I was lazy or something. I never felt like I was discriminated against for doing so. I don't know if you're comfortable with disclosing your issues, some are not, and that's okay. I would definitely have a conversation about having a schedule that doesn't change on a moments notice. That's not good for anyone. Not sure if any of this helps, but I wish you the best.

[Madigansmom]

First, forgive yourself. While it's not the most viable solution to just walk away to clear your mind or your anxiety, you did so because you care about what's going on at work. Your frustrations are very justified. A situation as you've described is a formula for unrest. Again, self-compassion is the first step. As you process the situation, you will likely start to recognize how to better respond to and manage your human and justified feelings. I agree that communication : being upfront about your frame of mind and what it takes to help you feel "secure" at work, is the best approach. A proactive conversation to describe what works best (for you) shifts the "burden" from your reaction to the admin's responsibility in understanding and providing a supportive, healthy workplace. Even if they don't change, you have done your part. And, I believe that is useful in helping you "breathe" and better cope with the haphazard situation. . Good luck to you as you navigate the unexpected. You are human and you care. 😊

[Cookie2217]

As with many other things time heals all wounds. I understand your frustration as I also work in child care. When there's no communication things don't always reach us in a timely manner which causes chaos. No one likes to work in an environment like this believe me. Walking out was the wrong course of action though because you left your class unattended and something awful could have happened to one of the kids in your absence. I'm glad you seemed to work things out and in time things will go back to normal for you just be patient. Wishing you peace and well-being.