Anxiety and Employment

Hi @Bella19 I’ve had issues at work and it’s not a complete process as such but try and have a small circle of friends it can help and yeah talk to the person who started all this and let them know how you feel etc use “I” statements and don’t blame them or show any emotions just be clear though and ask them why they did it but prepare for an absurd answer.

I know socializing can be tricky but try and own your emotions as they are valid don’t let them have power over you, if leaving the industry is how you feel just because of other people and not your passion it is something I would reconsider.

I’ve been bullied, not so great at speaking but let them talk it up I just move job. My resume is a bit over the shop but taking small steps I’m seeing improvements in some areas. I think if talking about it doesn’t help then move. That’s all you can do

@Former-Member

I had previously left the industry and returned after four years thinking that things would be different, but I feel like the industry allows for this type of behaviour to happen and management turn a blind eye to it. Considering how desperate everyone is for staff at the moment I would have thought that taking care of staff would be a priority but apparently not.

@amber22

Hi Amber thank you,

I think what's even harder is that the workplace is small and so there's only a handful of staff that are there and so it's become quite tight nit which makes it harder. I feel like having anxiety means that my levels of being able to cope with stress are much less than those that don't have anxiety and often wonder if I would be better at working at a job like McDonalds where its less stressful. I went back into childcare because I liked the relationships with children but as everyone has said when you are spending so much time at work the people you work with can be an overarching factor.

Hey @Bella19 ,

You’ve got a lot of options. It’s a seller’s market at the moment in childcare. I worked as a teacher in that industry for years!

You are describing something that runs rife in the industry. In all my years, I’ve learnt that it comes with the job.

So I pretty much assure you that the grass won’t be greener on the other side. Good news is, you can get yourself signed up to a few childcares as part of their ‘casual pool’ and that means you don’t need to deal with the same people.

Otherwise, you can also go through an agency, but they do take a cut of your pay.

Pros of leaving: you can get a job anywhere including casual and agency work; you don’t have to deal with the current situation

Cons of leaving: probably won’t be much better anywhere else; you won’t have the stability of set hours/location if you drop to casual

Otherwise, speak directly to the gossipers to iron out the misunderstandings. This is what I’d do, but I would struggle to do this if I was an introvert.

Early on in my career, I’d run from the situation, but now, I tackle things head on.

The ball is in your court. All the best!

Good morning @Bella19 ! ❤️

That is some really valuable feedback @BPDSurvivor, I also love all of the options that you have suggested!

It definitely would be difficult having such a close-knit workplace, and I can resonate with the negativity affecting your anxiety even more as it all seems in very close proximity.

I think that exploring your other options (as @BPDSurvivor said before) would be really beneficial for you! The world is your oyster right now!

There are so many options if you wanted to continue within childcare where you could either work one-on-one, or in a more flexible group! Maybe there is even a job available for you to care for children solely by yourself/ with the family. There is a website called 'Jugglestreet', and also many other helpful resources like it online too, or maybe even branching into a different sector of childcare might be better for you!

Warm regards,

Amber22

Hi @Bella19,

I can hear that this is a difficult situation for you, and just wanted to share some (hopefully helpful) insights, as someone who went through something similar.

It sounds like you’re already recognising your feelings regarding your work situation and how these might be impacting you, and I want to really encourage you to continue to check in with yourself and not be afraid to do what you feel you need to in order to best support your mental wellbeing, even though I know it can be scary. When I found myself in a very similar position to you, I convinced myself that I didn’t have any other options and just had to push through working as a full-time childcare educator in a room with colleagues who were impacting my mental health. That was until I was forced (literally by my workplace and figuratively by my mental health) to step back and re-assess, and, looking back, I wish I had done that a lot sooner. It was tough to figure out what to do and to face making changes, but I ended up moving to a Support Worker role in the centre I was at, which was much better for my needs at the time, as it was less pressure and meant I was working with different educators. It also gave me the time to study for different career options, manage my mental health, and (later) take on additional casual work that utilised my skills from childcare. And eventually I did return to a full-time role within my centre in a room and with educators that were a better fit for my needs, while also continuing to explore my options outside of the industry.

I really relate to what you say about feeling ‘trapped’ in the childcare industry, and I want you to know it doesn’t have to be that way. Over the years I’ve come across many different types of job opportunities that utilise childcare qualifications/skills without being your typical ‘childcare educator’ role, like:
- Support Worker in childcare, possibly within your own centre or another one
- In-home childcare educator (e.g. with services that provide support for disadvantaged families)
- Before and After School Care
- Teacher’s Aide/Classroom Assistant/School Learning Support Officer in schools
- Facilitating children’s sports programs, like soccer programs, working at a kids’ gym, etc.
- Administrative or assistant duties at services that focus on children – e.g. paediatric dentist, children’s eyesight screener, etc.
- Working at a children’s play space or ‘children’s museum’
- Depending on your qualification: Child Protection Caseworker, trainer with a Training Organisation, working with Early Childhood regulatory authorities, etc.
Even if none of these seem like something you’re interested in right now, hopefully they give you some hope that your current role isn’t your only option.

In saying all of that, your journey is your own and you’ve got to find what is the right fit for you, not necessarily what worked/works for others. Maybe it is leaving childcare completely, maybe it’s reducing your hours temporarily or permanently, maybe it’s chatting to your Supervisor about what else needs to be done to address the issue, maybe it’s finding mental health supports that allow you to feel better able to manage your role, etc. Whatever path it is you end up taking, I want to wish you good luck and hope you feel very supported in your decision, and feel free to keep us posted about how things go!