Crying at work

SpaceOtter

Hi,
I know its ok to cry and its a way to get your feelings out. But i cry quite alot. I try to keep it to just at home or when im alone but i don't always manage.

Ive cried alot at work lately, nearly every week. Normally because its too loud and crowded. My work are very kind and accepting. Im kept somewhere quiet now away from the crowds.

Yesterday i got overwhelmed because there was so much stuff too sort and it all felt too much. And i missed some of the piles so there was even more than i realised. I felt useless and overwhelmed and i cried.

I feel so embarrassed, it was so silly. I really hope my supervisor isn't angry. They're really nice but it must be getting on everyone nerves. Im really sorry it happened. I don't want to be the silly girl who cries all the time.

I saw her briefly after i cried she asked if i was and i think i nodded, i hope i didn't seem rude.
I feel really embarrassed and ashamed about the whole thing.

Im in work this Wednesday and im nervous about it. I feel really embarrassed about how i acted.

Im sorry i just needed to get this off my chest.

Take care, youre awesome

Azziman

Hey @SpaceOtter, I hear you. It sounds like work is feeling overwhelming for you at the moment. There's no shame in crying - it's a natural response to what sounds like a difficult situation. And I'm glad to hear that you have people like your supervisor who seem supportive!

That being said, it might be worth considering what is causing you to cry here. Would I be right to say that the loud and crowded environment is the main trigger? Do you know why it might be leading you to cry?

It may be a good idea to talk to your supervisor about the things that are driving you to feel this way. Hopefully you can work together to come up with a solution that helps you to work, but removes the triggering factor.

Maisy

Hey there,

It's really good to know that your work place is kind and accepting, especially when they took on board how you feel overwhelmed in a busy area and gave you a quiet area to work in. Is it still noisy where you work? Perhaps you can wear some headphones or ask if it's okay to wear headphones/noise reducing ear plugs? Hopefully this might help to reduce the noise a little bit and help you to feel a bit calmer too.

It can be really difficult when you have lots of work to do and it's easy to get overwhelmed. I don't think you are useless for missing the other piles of work though. I probably would've made the same mistake too! Perhaps your supervisor could give clearer instructions for work? E.g instead of asking you to go through all the piles, your supervisor should tell you which piles in particular, that way then you know exactly what needs to be done.

Do you have safe ways to cope with feeling overwhelmed? When we feel calmer, we may be able to focus more on work, whereas when we are overwhelmed, it can feel like a vicious cycle of trying to get work done and feeling overwhelmed but on a loop. Perhaps you can try to prioritise things, or break tasks down into smaller tasks. Remember, you are human and no-one is going to be expecting you to be able to do superhuman tasks.

Also, I doubt anyone would think you were being rude after you were upset and the supervisor asked if you were okay. I think many people would understand feeling embarrassed about getting upset and not wanting to talk about it when asked too.

Hope work went a bit better for you

Terry8936

@SpaceOtter thanks for your willingness of sharing. It's important to remember that emotions are a natural part of being human, and crying can be a healthy outlet for releasing emotions and relieving stress. It's okay to feel overwhelmed and to have moments where you need to express your emotions.

You can consider to communicate with your supervisor and let them know how you're feeling. They may be able to offer additional support or accommodations to help you manage your workload and create a more comfortable environment for you. Everyone has challenging moments, and it doesn't define your worth or competence as an individual. It's natural to experience difficulties and have emotional responses. Your colleagues and supervisor seem understanding, and they likely want to support you in finding strategies that work best for you.

marcellus_beauregard

I see. It feels embarrassing to express such emotions and the memory of it does take a toil onto you. They all seem to be very understanding and if you still feel embarrassed about it, you can always be honest about your thoughts and apologise to show that you reflected on your actions and you are worried about what they think about it. And like you said at the start, it is okay to let it all out. We believe in life that we should toughen up and ignore these feelings but keeping it all bottle up is mentally straining. Look after yourself and don't worry too much, okay? Also, I am so glad that you decided to share this as it shows you want to resolve it and that is a good thing.