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Do you get anxiety before going to work?

163K views 65 replies 66 participants last post by  Destormjanina1 
#1 ·
and makes you want to skip work, and stay home?
sometimes whenever I have anxiety, heading to work, I find a way to be late, and then at the last minute I chose to skip work.... this happened multiple times.. its like you're sabotaging yourself.. anyone gone through something similar?
 
#2 ·
I get anxiety before work , before the gym , before entering a shopping centre, before entering a library ...

But the worst is before hitting the gym, have major anxiety. I tend to spend at least 1 hour in the ladies room (trying to pump myself up with music in the cubicles).. then eventually go into the gym ... I walked in then walked back out once (waste of petrol).
 
#3 ·
I get extreme anxiety at the thought of working. I get it before every shift. I dread Sunday nights because I know I'll have to start a whole new work week the next day; hence I love it when Friday comes around because I know I will have a few days off from work.
 
#4 ·
Yeah I do most of the time. Mostly because I don't want to see certain people at work who I feel awkward/uncomfortable around or I don't feel like dealing with customers. I've called out waaaay too many times because I didn't feel like going it and I end up regretting it when I am actually sick and need to call out. I haven't been getting a whole lot of hours for the past few weeks, so I'm dreading next week when my hours are starting to pick up again.
 
#6 ·
Yes. I've done it. Some days I wake up and my anxiety is so bad I just tell myself I should call in sick, so I do. It's like once I get it in my mind that I can't go I seriously just can't go.

It's gotten much better over time, but it still happens where I'll think of any excuse possible not to go and then just call in sick. Moreso lately though, I've been forcing myself to go so that when there is a good opportunity I can take an extra day or two off.

I know the exact feeling that you are getting.
 
#19 ·
Yes. I've done it. Some days I wake up and my anxiety is so bad I just tell myself I should call in sick, so I do. It's like once I get it in my mind that I can't go I seriously just can't go.
Im just like you. Once I get a thought, like not going to something, I do whatever I can not to do whatever it is I don't want yo do.
 
#7 ·
I used to get a lot of anxiety before going to work. It was hard, and I guess what has made it better is me becoming more at ease with myself and generally combating my anxiety on all fronts. I'm immensely grateful towards my earlier self for persisting though, because without the experiences I had and the opportunities it gave me I wouldn't be in the place I'm in right now. I recommend that you try to analyze what you dislike most about your job, and what concerns are due to your anxiety, and what problems would be legitimate grievances for anyone. For example, I thought it was painful to have to talk to my co-workers and customers. That's hardly reasonable and something you will have to face. If that's what makes you suffer you should try to face it, as running away will only make the fear worse. However I also had a quite bad boss and the mood around the workplace wasn't very good. This is bad for anyone, and if things like these are your main concerns, you should look for another job. Dealing with your anxiety is hard enough without having to deal with other kinds of crap, so avoid that if you can.
 
#8 ·
It happens to me A LOT and I also end up skipping multiple times. Sometimes its from the moment I open my eyes, I start to sweat and think about the day ahead and my heart starts racing so fast, I feel unable to breathe etc. so needless to say I don't hold jobs for long and it is so frustrating, I just want to be normal and just do whatever I am supposed to do but I am SCARED out of my mind and mostly I don't get where the anxiety is coming from.
 
#10 ·
Not again!>

I can totally relate to getting anxiety before going to work..I've lost multiple jobs to this...its so fustrating...i try to calm myself but all these thoughts keep running through my head...it happens before every shift, or at start to a new job..lately its just been getting worse..is there ne type of coping or methods of dealing with this..!?:um
 
#11 ·
Anxiety before Work

Not sure if anyone responds to these threads but I have had the same issue for years. I am able to get high paying jobs and each time I do I am happy and cant wait to start, but a few days in the anxiety starts again. I wake up in the morning and like many of you have said something in my brain talks me out of going in. I feel so guilty for having this problem. I know so many hard workers that dont make as much as I can and they go to work everyday with no problem! My husband has been so understanding I don;t know how he does it. He said he just wants me to be happy. I want to be normal! Once I get on his insurance through his job I think I may want to talk to someone about this :blank
 
#12 ·
Oh yeagh I got nasty anxiety before going in because it meant I had to smile, I had to talk to people and actually concentrate on a job that needed to be done. I still get it when I go in but i try hard not to skip any days it can very tempting and to just sit here and spend the rest of the day hiding from the world. I feel as though I had nothing interesting to say to anyone and seriously didin't want to hear about any of their stories or even cared about their weekend or what going on in their lives. I felt as though I am constantly being judged by my coworkers or other people.
 
#15 ·
Yeah i think I sabotage myself a little, as I am usually 5-10 minutes late. I distract myself from going, but never have actually called out. Its strange though, because I was actually thinking of calling out yesterday..

Every day when I get to work, I get a little nervous, even though I've been working there for a year and a half now. I eventually relax more and more as the day goes on, but certain days I have little ease. It helps though that I work with ppl all day.
 
#16 · (Edited)
All the time.

I work at a public service job, so is easy to get medical certificates and sick leave. I'll be honest to say that 50 % of the time I skip the day at work was because of my SA
 
#18 ·
Yes i do

But after the first couple of hours I am fine........but the TURTH is I hate this FEELING of uneasieness and dread I get every time before going to work........if is VERY RARE that I dont feel this ANXIETY......I absolutely HATE it.......even though I know it will go away after I start working.......I still cant stand that I have it...............Sometimes the right ANTIDEPRESSANT will help!
 
#20 ·
I've always had anxiety pretty bad before and during work, but not as bad anywhere else, whether it be a busy gas station or something like that- nothing compares to the amount of anxiety i get just walking into a place of work. I'm about to get a job at a local Subway so I'm gonna have to work directly with customers, which scares the hell outta me just thinking about it. I actually feel imprisoned and an overall sense of doom just as I walk in to any place of work. Hopefully some day I'll just grow out of it:par
 
#21 ·
Sometimes, especially if I know I've not been doing so well at work or not meeting my quotas. I used to get anxiety going to work all the time once I first started, but now that I've been around for three months I've gotten a bit more used to it.
 
#24 ·
I often get bad BDD attacks before going to work, which are cause for a lot of stress and anxiety, and occasionally complete meltdowns where I have to give up even trying to go to work, and just go back to bed in defeat.

It's rare for me to make it to work on time - most mornings are just a horrible mixture of stress and anxiety trying to get out the door, and then even more stress trying to make a mad dash to work in rush hour traffic knowing I'm already ridiculously late, so even before I make it in to the office I'm so worn out by the efforts to get there that I get there emotionally exhausted and grumpy, just wanting to get the next 8.5 hours of pure hell out of the way so I can get the hell out of there and go home and hide again.

I've recently developed a rash on my chest that I can only put down to the high stress that trying to get to work puts me through on a daily basis - I'm really not sure how much longer I can keep it up.
 
#25 ·
Every single day! I work full time so I basically have this anxiety constantly at the thought of going to work, the things I did to screw up at work, the thoughts my coworkers have of me, having to deal with my extremely extroverted and obnoxious boss, etc. I worry before I leave about the day ahead and then come home and ruminate about all of the "stupid" things I said, how I didn't take enough initiative, if I'm going to get fired...etc. My coworkers are ok but they're all extroverted people who love hanging out together after work and I just can't do that and I therefore isolate myself. I work in a centre for children with Autism and always have to work with not only the kids, but my coworkers as well. I never have a chance to escape to a quiet office or even my own cubicle.

My anxiety would be so much less if I could just work alone and actually have the time to sit quietly and make sure my work is done properly.
 
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