If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.
Read the community guidelines before posting ✨
My job stresses me out when I'm not even there
Former Member
MiniposterPosts: 187 Helping Hand
in Work & Study
Hello everyone. I would really appreciate any comments I get on this. I think I just need to get this off my chest.
I've been working in a fast food restaurant for two years. I used to only work weekends but in the past year or so I've started working full time during the holidays. It's the only paid work I've ever had.
The job wasn't so bad at first, other than the fact that I was nervous because I was knew and because one of the managers that worked there at the time wasn't very nice. It didn't matter that I didn't know how to do anything because I was new and I always had a manager or a crew trainer or someone making sure I was doing okay.
However, things started to go downhill because I never really had the time to complete all of the extra training that I was meant to do online when I wasn't working. Since starting this job I have gone through the stress of finishing my A-levels, moving away from home, and getting through my first year of university. I basically still feel as though I know a lot less than the other people who work there. I often finish my work day feeling humiliated or stupid. There are only a couple of things that I feel confident doing, so I don't get moved around that much and tend to get stuck doing the same things for hours for days in a row.
I'm lucky to have a job where I can work during the holidays and stop while I'm at university, but arranging the times when I can start working again requires a lot of planning because I don't usually know what I'm going to be doing months in advance. The system that I'm meant to use to update my availability barely works, so I often have to spend ages messaging different managers when they start asking me to come back to work so that they can update it on their end,but the manager I'm talking to now keeps asking even though I've told her the times I can work.
I have at least until the end of the week off but I've been dreading going back since before I even came home from uni because my job is so bad for my mental health but I don't really have the option to quit or change anything in my current situation.
I've been working in a fast food restaurant for two years. I used to only work weekends but in the past year or so I've started working full time during the holidays. It's the only paid work I've ever had.
The job wasn't so bad at first, other than the fact that I was nervous because I was knew and because one of the managers that worked there at the time wasn't very nice. It didn't matter that I didn't know how to do anything because I was new and I always had a manager or a crew trainer or someone making sure I was doing okay.
However, things started to go downhill because I never really had the time to complete all of the extra training that I was meant to do online when I wasn't working. Since starting this job I have gone through the stress of finishing my A-levels, moving away from home, and getting through my first year of university. I basically still feel as though I know a lot less than the other people who work there. I often finish my work day feeling humiliated or stupid. There are only a couple of things that I feel confident doing, so I don't get moved around that much and tend to get stuck doing the same things for hours for days in a row.
I'm lucky to have a job where I can work during the holidays and stop while I'm at university, but arranging the times when I can start working again requires a lot of planning because I don't usually know what I'm going to be doing months in advance. The system that I'm meant to use to update my availability barely works, so I often have to spend ages messaging different managers when they start asking me to come back to work so that they can update it on their end,but the manager I'm talking to now keeps asking even though I've told her the times I can work.
I have at least until the end of the week off but I've been dreading going back since before I even came home from uni because my job is so bad for my mental health but I don't really have the option to quit or change anything in my current situation.
Tagged:
0
Comments
You have done well to stay for 2 years. Can imagine the stress of any fast food restraunt. And to stay is great in itself. Esp if its Mcdonals ah.
Isnt finding a new job while youre still at this one an option? I know that may sound more stressful than your current situation. But you have done it once so can again & may find somewhere more manageable. Your mental health is so important and sometimes its really not worth to stay if its that bad. Know is hard though - Ive been working in same retail shop weekend work for two years, its so draining & completly hate it,yet i stay.
But eventhough youre not new it is still completely okay to ask other staff member or mangers if youre unsure on things. Even if it sounds silly, theyd prefer you to ask. I always ask other staff member if i dont know, sometimes i ask the most simple things but sometimes it gets stressful in those enviorments & mind can go blank. And can be lot of stuff to remember.
It sounds like youre probably doing better than you think. And really trying esp with trying to tell mangers ect. As well as dealing with everything outside of work too.
Thanks for taking the time to reply. I'm still trying to work on being more open about my feelings with my friends and family. I just don't feel like they really take me seriously a lot of the time. I guess they just don't know how bad I really feel.
I've already brought up certain issues with the managers and crew trainers. They know that I get stuck at the same stations all the time, and that I haven't completed all of the training because I've had to prioritise other things. I once cried in front of a crew trainer and told her all about how a co-worker was trying to train me by physically forcing my hand, and she told me that I needed to understand that they were just frustrated that I wasn't working fast enough. There are lots of things I don't tell them, and I know that there are things that I could be doing better, but I still don't feel like it should have gotten to this point.
I think that I might at least start looking at other jobs, although I probably won't end up applying for any. I feel like quitting all the time but at the same time I think that I'd feel like a failure if I quit before I really had to.
I got my schedule on Sunday. All I have this week is a six hour shift on Thursday. I'm glad I don't have any more shifts this week.
Sorry it took me so long to reply. I missed some notifications.
Thanks for the advice.
I don't know how I've managed to stay at my job for this long. Maybe it's just because I never seriously considered quitting. I do work at McDonald's, which isn't the worse job, but there are definitely a lot of things that I'm not happy about.
I could find a new job while I'm still at this one, but I'd probably struggle to find one that's as flexible that I could fit around uni. I have considered getting another job, and I think I'll go and look into some soon, but I don't think that I'd actually switch unless the new job was more interesting or relevant to my career. I imagine I'd have similar issues with any job I get. Well done for working in retail for so long, I bet that's another job that gets really hectic.
I always ask when I need to know something, as the only alternative would be to wander around doing nothing when someone gives me a job to do. The problem is that I need to ask too often, and I'm pretty sure my colleagues talk about me behind my back. I've heard people talk about how slow I am and how annoying it is that I can't complete certain tasks.
I really hope I'm doing better than I think I am. Sorry if it took me a while to get back to you.
-Remember to look after yourself & self care though. And keep us update on this situation if youd like. Here if wanna talk it through!