Hi @Claired
I agree with @Former-Member - If you are able to raise this with your manager and find out for what purpose they signed you up, and what expectations there are for this to impact your role, then you will be working with known variables instead of guessing and potentially coming up with answers that are a lot more daunting than reality (catastrophising).
Even if they do have more expectations of your role this gives you the opportunity to discuss prioritisation of your workload, impact on other aspects of you job, potential changes to your PD and salary etc which allows you to open a negotiation to find something that suits you, not just the organisation.
However you might feel comfortable to do that just yet, so here's some of the other things I do.
I am very familar with catastrophic thinking (I think I am preparing myself for the worst case scenario - but really it just leaves me unprepared for every other possible outcome including unbrideld success!) and I have found that it is most drastic when I have unknown factors (such as 'Why did they send me on this course?') - as soon as I can fill in some of the blanks it narrows down the possible outcomes and very often rules out the previous worst case scenario.
I find it helpful sometimes to write out a list of EVERY scenario I can think of, including ridiculous ones because frankly some of my worst case scenarios are pretty far-fetched. That gives me a little more pesepective on the DIFFERENT ways this can go, it is not ALWAYS going to be the one I am most scared of.
The other very helpful thing I do for my worst case scenario is write down what I am worried about, what resources I would need to have to feel able to handle it, and how to get those resources. (I lterally have this currently on my desktop form a recent experience myself!).
eg I recently had to learn very complex new software with the expectation that I will be the sole spport and trainer for this software inn my organisation moving forwards. I found the training REALLY hard and finished up feeling like I couldn't possibly do it.
Q What was aI worried about?
A Worried I won't have the skills I need and will therefore get sacked [hello catastrohic thinking]
Q What resources will I need to feel able to handle it?
A I need further instruction, hands on experience and much more TIME
Q How can I get what I need?
A
- Raise this concern with my manager.
- Ensure they understand that I am not ready to hit the ground running and it will tajke time for me to get familiar with the sftware.
- I won't HAVE this time with my current workload, so if they want me up to speed we need to discuss prioritsation.
- Additonally check out online tutorials and forums.
- Spend what time I can in the practice environment gettign to know my way around.
- Idenitfy particular areas of confusion - clarify WHY they are confusing, contact the trainer and ask for further help to understand these points, and how I am getting confused.
Basically the idea it to take this big overwhelmed and helpless FEELING, and turn it into a series of small and doable ACTIONS that put me back in control and knowing what to do next. This is incredibly helpful to me.
If I am in a bad way I also tend to generalise - 'Oh it is ALWAYS like this, they NEVER give me enough time' that kind of thing.... most days it is just conversational hyperbole, but iof I am feeling a bit fragile it can be enough for me to start to really buy into it and feel hard done by, or panicked. Time to get out my trusty notebook and make some more lists (I do most of my thinking on paper and I love lists!). This time I take my Generalised statement and list as many examples where this wasn't true as I can think of. I keep adding to that list during the days as different things occur to me.
One last thing that I found amazingly helpful. I think a lot of people are familiar with the idea of listing 3 threes each night they are grateful for - well this is similar but has a twist that makes all the difference.
Each night before you go to bed write down (yes write down, not just think) 3 things that went well that day. They don't have to be big things, just three things that went well. Then, and this is the kicker. Write down how YOU contributed to them going well - however small that contribution was.
Eg Lunch was tasty: I chose it.
or
A person I supported thanked me and said I was great: I cared about their outcomes and researched helpful tools for them.
Over a period of a couple of weeks you will probably start to see some patterns, and here's the cool thing, these are the patterns of what you do that contributes to things going well.
So, for me a couple of patterns I noticed was that when things went well I had been organised, and I had asked for specific help if I needed it. Which i how I now know that if I am stressing one of the most efective things I can do is organise my thoughts, break things down into specific steps and ask for assistance.
Hope you and others find this helpful in some way.
