job anxiety every sunday...

:(:(:( I am sorry that you are anticipating the anxious feelings of the new week. I know that you are not alone in this however...I believe that people who don't suffer with and anxiety disorder, still feel a certain amount of trepidation about returning to work on Mondays...and especially after having time off.

In regards to what to do in the future, it is hard to know when to remain where you are, and when to make a move. You have to weigh the options and the pros and cons of each. It is a personal decision, and one that you will have to put a lot of thought into. Sometimes fate intervenes and forces our hand, or gifts us a solid oppurtunity...so I will be hoping this is the case for you!:)

As far as today goes. I have had to use this mantra many times in different circumstances, and it really does work...I repeat to myself:

'It's not time to worry about that now.'

This gives a stop signal to my racing thoughts, and reminds me that I can derail this thinking if I concentrate on something else.

If you really can't get your mind off of it, then spend a designated amount of time on 'constructive worry'...actually preparing/problem solving;) Take 10 minutes or so to focus on the subject of work...then let it go and repeat the mantra!

This works suprisingly well for me...I hope you find it helpful too.

Enjoy your day as much as you can, and let us know how your return to work went soon.

S.C.

i had a hard day back at work after my time off. i felt like i was ambushed by issues from the start of the day. i literally walked in the door to my office, and someone said, "oh, good, you're back. i really need to talk to you." i did well with my boundaries and asked for some time to put my lunch in the fridge and get settled back into my office. they said it wasn't an emergency, so i told this person i'd come see them once i got my voicemail and email checked. they came to my office THREE TIMES in the next 30 minutes, asking "is this a good time to talk now?" i reminded this person all three times that i'd speak with them once i was free. i realized today that my job is a pretty constant battle for my boundaries, with situations like this occurring regularly. it's exhausting.

then there is the pile of work that didn't get done while i was out. i had to re-read about mindfulness today to remind myself to stay in the moment and try not to judge the situation -- i feel frustrated and overwhelmed by the catching up i have to do, but i can take it one step at a time. i'm working hard to stay in that mindset.

my boss came in late today and didn't welcome me back, didn't ask me how my time off was, didn't even say hello to me...ordinarily i wouldn't care about someone not doing this, but she has an obvious tendency to play favorites, and i know i am not one of her favorites. other employees get asked about their time off and are welcomed back. she's not outright disrespectful or mean to me...she just treats me differently than some other employees, and it makes me feel awkward, left out, and uncared-for.

i probably sounds like i'm just complaining at this point. after today, i do feel motivated to look for a new position. i think i'd like to stick it out at my current company and see if an internal opening pops up in the next few months. if something doesn't come up by the end of the year, i will start to look outside my company. the best thing to happen today was that the staff i supervise shared that they were really glad i was back...one of them told me that i was the best supervisor she has had (and she has been with the company for 26 years), but she followed it up with, "so you better not go anywhere." i do love the team i work with directly, and it will break my heart to leave them when i do...but i know that staying much longer will not be healthy for me...

Post Edited (frizzbee) : 10/1/2012 7:15:05 PM (GMT-6)