Stress Center Peer Support

Hi everyone. Lately I've been feeling some negativity at work (for the past few weeks). I work as a sub, and am trying to get hired full time. I have a long-term position coming up, but lately have been feeling like I don't fit in with the people I will be working with as much as I did at first. Ever since this other long-term person came in, I've been feeling 'out of the loop' like I don't fit in. I don't know if it's me, or if the situation really exists. I'm typically a shy person, and have been very shy around these people for a while for some reason, and I don't know...the other long-term person came in and clicked with everyone right away. Now I'm starting to have anxiety about being there, thinking that these people don't like me as much as they did at first. And that it is going to mess up my relationships with them and how I feel when I am there... I don't know what to do!!!

Can you weigh the importance of how much you like your job versus the importance of how much these people like you? Do you like your job? I would suggest exploring a few questions surrounding why it is important that people like you at your job? Possibly, gaining more skills that will enable you to feel more confident in a given situation will help aid you when you sense something is awry. By testing the reality of the THOUGHT, you can learn quite abit of information about yourself. The thought-----I don't fit in. It is merely a thought. Test this thought by asking yourself why do you feel you need to fit in at a job? What about fitting in while working is important to you? If at the end of the day you could ask yourself one question would it be, "Did I fit in?" Or, "Did I touch another life with the gift that I have been given?" Take care of you-----

Thanks a lot Stoic. You make a lot of sense. It's just weird because I mean, I do care about what they think of me--because I will be around them everyday in a couple months, and will be using one of them as a reference. So, I'm trying to have the attitude that I will feel better about things. I just have to stay positive. I feel like maybe I have not been as 'personable' as I was a few weeks ago, and have been more quiet around them lately because of some stuff that has been going on...there has been some animosity going on among the people there, and I just don't want to get involved. So I just try to stay quiet if they are talking about it. I don't know...I was just feeling much more optimistic about how everything was going earlier in the year, but have lately been feeling like it's been going down hill, and have been beating myself up about it...

I do think we all go through insecurities while working. However, in looking back over the last 25 years I think the most important lesson I try to give my adult children is to go to work and not get involved in toxic conversations about anyone else while working. Continue to reach for mechanisms to help you in your growth as an individual. We are all growing. There will always be a new situation to learn from. It is important that we love who we are----- this can take time ------ it did for me. I have found that the more growth I have had, the less concerned I am with affirmation from outside sources. Can you put something in your pocket to remind yourself of how special you are on a daily basis?

That's a good idea...I might just do that. I'm sure, too, that all this has to do with my overly analytical, negative brain too . I'm just going to try my best to stop thinking about it so much and go with the flow. One day at a time. Just go in, do my job the best I can, be friendly to everybody, and be myself. What more can I do, right? Thanks a lot for the encouragement.

i have anxiety every sunday like clock work because i have to go back to work monday. i hate that i hope that changes soon. i try to stay positive but i seem to always feel weird late sunday night and i cant sleep knowing i have to go to work and i give myself anxiety.