Dealing with anxiety…

Help! About six weeks ago I decided I needed to stop feeling sorry for myself and go get a job. I thought that not only did I need the money but I thought it would be a good start in meeting new people. I thought ‘you never know, I might bond with someone and I could finally end up with a friend/group of friends I could have a laugh with’. Oh, how freaking wrong could I be!? I easily got a job waitressing but, of course, I am much older than most of the other staff working there (38, nearly 39 😭). Age doesn’t usually bother me as I can usually find something to relate to someone else but there is one particular girl (aged 19) who I get the feeling has taken an instant dislike to me. I don’t know this for sure, and I certainly don’t want to go running to my manager to say she keeps rolling her eyes at me or hinting that I’m doing a particular bad job at things (it sounds paranoid at best!) so I’ve made the effort to ignore it, crack on and make the best out of the situation. Anyway, last Friday night the place was so busy, it was boiling hot inside and we were short staffed. I ended up making a mistake with one of the table numbers - I held my hands up, apologised profusely and accepted that I was probably going to have caused a bit of unnecessary stress. This particular was absolutely furious with me (or, so it seemed - she was huffing and puffing at me etc). I then started to feel incredibly nervous about making more mistakes, and, inevitably, I did. I gave the customer a wrong dish, again I apologised and explained that I’d only been there a short time, I was still training and that we were incredibly busy and short staffed. My manager agreed we could offer her meal for free to make up for the mix up but she was absolutely furious with me, she was screaming and shouting at me about how incompetent I was. I ended up bursting into tears, telling my manager I couldn’t do this anymore, and walking out. Later on, my manager messaged me and told me not to be so hard on myself - I’d only been there for six weeks, I’d made very few mistakes in that time and that the shift I’d worked had been out of the ordinarily busy. However, I feel so humiliated and pathetic. I was a woman, in her late 30’s, crying her eyes out in a packed out restaurant, working with a girl nearly half my age who intimates me. I am supposed to be working again tomorrow but I literally feel sick at the thought of going back. If I don’t go back, then I will no longer have money to buy pay my bills. My son is starting his summer holidays and I would really like to be able to take him to a couple of places, like the zoo. But the selfish, terrified part of me feels like I CANNOT go back. I’m so embarrassed that I don’t know what to do! Any advice would be much appreciated!!
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Couldn't read and run... You can go back. 💪 Look at the positives... you've made very few mistakes in 6 weeks (no doubt in a restaurant you've just been thrown in the deep end and expected to pick things up as you go) Sounds like your manager has got your back. A 19 year old with a bad attitude will have no where near the qualities and life experience you have built up. See it as a temp thing, do what you've got to do, get paid and don't give it a second thought when you get home.... in the meantime look for something else. Take your boy on those days/trips!

You definitely can do this if you want to!! Sounds like you have the manager on your side. I’m not a confrontational person but if I feel someone has a problem with me I would pull them aside for a chat to try and clear the air. Is that something you could do? If you tell her how her attitude makes you feel it might make her re think her actions. Even if you could go back for a short time and look for a new job in the meantime? That way at least there’s light at the end of the tunnel? No one should ever be made to feel so crap in work it results in tears. Life is too short. Try not to let the little bully get to you snd definitely look for something that makes you happier ❤️

As hard as this is, block that ignorant woman out of your focus. Defo go back but you must explain to your manager the reality of it all, let your manager understand the whole perspective, and ask that you’re sharing in confidence. Explain you need some space from her and can you be on shifts without her whilst you build your confidence maybe? Appreciate this might not be possible. Focus on you and your bills and child. Younger childless woman intimidating like this simply don’t have the experience yet of the whole return to work after a baby - it does knock us and our confidence. She might also be going through some stuff too, and it’s coming out via perfectionist anger towards you. If she can’t control herself then that’s on her, not on you, and she’ll learn fast lessons in life. You do you, head high, earn those 💰

Thanks ladies- you’re right. I guess I just completely panicked because I felt like I made a complete and utter idiot of myself. The job was only meant to be temporary anyway so I’ll look for another one in the meantime!! I’m back in at 5pm (gulp) so I could be back on here moaning again soon!!

Tell us how it went 🤞🏼 May the force be with you xxx

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