Can't stop ruminating over the stupid mistakes I did at work

[willnot-giveup]

So I started a new job the other day and I was incharge with the tills, I was really anxious so I couldnt focus enough and felt really tensed that it gave me a back ache. I can't stop replaying the stupid things I did and Im worried that I will do the same thing again and that costumers will recognise me as the stupid one. How do I stop these thoughts?

[Kessa]

Hi,

I can relate so much.I' m not sure if i know how to stop them but with anxiety sometimes we focus on the negative feelings instead of the positive or " neutral" ones.

For example you are focusing on the feeling you felt tense and you didn't focus enough so someone might see you as the " stupid one ".

Now try to step away from your feelings and think about what really happened.

Did any customer really say you were stupid?

Were some of your mistakes irrepairable? Or is just something it can be fix by talking to someone and finding solutions?

And even if you did a stupid mistake does that means you are a stupid person? Or maybe you are extending your judgment based on just one behavior?

These are some exercize cbt focus on but i just started so I could not be so good at writing this down but i hope to give you some insight on how your thoughts can impact the way you really behave and your next performance.It's really hard not to focus on negative things about ourselves when we have anxiety but try to make an effort to think what good things you might have done and probably you are not noticing.

Basically it' s about to change the way we think about ourselves. For me too is very difficult I have social anxiety and i tend to think everyone is judging me in every situation but when I really gather the " evidence" of my mistakes I m actually surprised how other people might not even focus so much on some things i focus on.

I wish you good luck and i work in the till too and it's so stressing you have my entire comprehension!!try to learn from every mistake. Sometimes i need to get comfortable and take my time to do things and be focused and I still do mistakes but if i take my own time not listening to the people who try to put pressure on me it gets a bit better!

xxx

[willnot-giveup in reply to Kessa]

Thanks so much for the thoughtful explanation. I have been following some cbt techniques aswell and using questions too to challenge my thoughts and not just accept them as truth.

Although sometimes when youre on the spot its hard to challenge these negative thoughts and not focus on them so I just go along functioning feeling tensed. :/

I did reflect on my mistakes earlier and realised they arent as bad I thought they were. Thank you and I wish you good luck too! xxx

[Kessa in reply to willnot-giveup]

I know what you mean, it's easier said than done. I'm glad you are reaching out though my therapist gave me some meditation techniques as well to lessen the anxiety before going to work but I haven't try them yet..I feel sometimes is a bit difficult to put in practice all these things especially when you believed your thoughts for a long time. maybe if you have a good relationship and trust your colleagues at work speaking to them about how you feel? or to some friend?don't know if can help maybe just to have a listening ear and maybe they can be less hard on your mistakes. I feel sometimes we can be pretty hard on ourselves.

thank you and good luck to you too:))