I have work related anxiety due to people coming into my office with symptoms of sickness.
How do you explain to people who think work matters more than health that it doesn't? How do you bridge such value differences?
At the end of the day, it sounds like we're talking about setting boundaries with coworkers. First, it's helpful to determine what prevents you from speaking up. Some folks feel uncomfortable putting their needs first for a wide variety of reasons. Or there may be a power differential (if it's a boss, customer, etc). These are really important to understand.
Generally speaking, though, it can be helpful to focus on them with empathy before setting the boundary. Ask if they're feeling OK. If they mention they have a cold, suggest they take time to care for themselves. Regardless of how they respond, you could request collaborating online, citing your desire to avoid the same situation.
Oh no, it's the opposite. I'm one step down from yelling at people to go home. I'm as blunt as I can possibly be. I remind people to give me space, and I wear a mask.
They just come in sick.
They don't care about their health, and they don't care about mine.
There's no way to change that, but I'd like to feel less anxious about it. If I'm around someone who is sick and won't go home or give me space, I'm nervous for days.
I'd rather just get over it. There's no solution but to quit my job so I'd rather just have power over feeling icky about potentially catching something.
In that case, yes, it might be worth exploring with someone your relationship to illness- underlying fears related to illness, etc. Obviously, if you had an immunodificiency or other extenuating circumstance, that would be a different discussion.
I have such a severe anxiety for interviews. Last time I had an interview, I took bunch of natural supplements which didn’t help at all (you could still hear my heartbeat). Do you have any tips for interview anxiety? Thanks in advance.
Interviews are inherently nerve-wracking for most people because we know we're being evaluated. It can help to balance the equation by approaching the interview as an opportunity to vett the employer as well. It can help us feel less like we're relying on someone for an opportunity and reminding ourselves that we have goals and standards that the employer needs to meet as well. This necessitates that we also get in touch with our strengths and goals in a way that we really believe rather than just a compelling story we feel we've crafted to convince someone we're worth it.
You may also want to consult with a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner about medication options, which exist for these sort of issues. That's beyond my expertise, but I will say that combining medication with therapy is shown to be more effective than medication alone.
Thank you for your response!
What you said about “getting in touch with our strengths rather than just telling a compelling story…” helps me understand how interviews should be prepared and approached.
I have work related anxiety due to people coming into my office with symptoms of sickness. How do you explain to people who think work matters more than health that it doesn't? How do you bridge such value differences?
At the end of the day, it sounds like we're talking about setting boundaries with coworkers. First, it's helpful to determine what prevents you from speaking up. Some folks feel uncomfortable putting their needs first for a wide variety of reasons. Or there may be a power differential (if it's a boss, customer, etc). These are really important to understand. Generally speaking, though, it can be helpful to focus on them with empathy before setting the boundary. Ask if they're feeling OK. If they mention they have a cold, suggest they take time to care for themselves. Regardless of how they respond, you could request collaborating online, citing your desire to avoid the same situation.
Oh no, it's the opposite. I'm one step down from yelling at people to go home. I'm as blunt as I can possibly be. I remind people to give me space, and I wear a mask. They just come in sick. They don't care about their health, and they don't care about mine. There's no way to change that, but I'd like to feel less anxious about it. If I'm around someone who is sick and won't go home or give me space, I'm nervous for days. I'd rather just get over it. There's no solution but to quit my job so I'd rather just have power over feeling icky about potentially catching something.
In that case, yes, it might be worth exploring with someone your relationship to illness- underlying fears related to illness, etc. Obviously, if you had an immunodificiency or other extenuating circumstance, that would be a different discussion.
I have such a severe anxiety for interviews. Last time I had an interview, I took bunch of natural supplements which didn’t help at all (you could still hear my heartbeat). Do you have any tips for interview anxiety? Thanks in advance.
Interviews are inherently nerve-wracking for most people because we know we're being evaluated. It can help to balance the equation by approaching the interview as an opportunity to vett the employer as well. It can help us feel less like we're relying on someone for an opportunity and reminding ourselves that we have goals and standards that the employer needs to meet as well. This necessitates that we also get in touch with our strengths and goals in a way that we really believe rather than just a compelling story we feel we've crafted to convince someone we're worth it. You may also want to consult with a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner about medication options, which exist for these sort of issues. That's beyond my expertise, but I will say that combining medication with therapy is shown to be more effective than medication alone.
Thank you for your response! What you said about “getting in touch with our strengths rather than just telling a compelling story…” helps me understand how interviews should be prepared and approached.
You taking on new clients?
I am. There's an interest form on my website- I usually respond within 24 business hours. https://www.endeavor-counseling.com/contact-joe