anxious about work....long please help.

meowcat84

I just started this new job...like little over a month. i bill to insurance companies. at first i really liked working here and then 2 people were let go last week and now my manager just quit. im hearing about people, wondering when they will lose their job. I see postings for our positions alot. They are expanding at the same time but when i hear people whispering it makes me really paranoid, a few people are being hired and no one knows where in billing they are going. I lost my last job due to the fact i started a week after a family member died, had the job for 2months....I couldnt concentrate and got anxious...and the one before that they let me go after 2days and said they changed their minds....well now 7months later and im getting anxious again, panic attacks. I get really anxious and want to do a good job. but feel like the harder i try the more irritated people around me get, so far I havent made any friends at work, not many people talk to me. when I first started training they didnt train me on a certain task(first week you have to do this) and now a month later im starting them and i feel like an idiot in front of the billing owner, she had to train me today because everyone was busy. she seems nice but still nervous.  Office is busy and its affecting my training and I dont want it to affect my job. I told the owner that too.. One of the employees told me not to worry, the owner told her everyone is doing just fine. Its just alot is on the line....like the low morgage in a nice neighborhood and cost of living in ct. and the surprise your fired feeling. I feel like im going to lose my job but at the same time they are still training me.

Dr.Loretta

First of all, paragraphs are your friends. Break up this post so it's easier to follow and people don't stare at a wall of words.

Second, there are a few things you can think about/do as you deal with this situation:

1. Layoffs, even now, happen all the time. On the one hand you're new, so random layoffs may affect you first. But you say they're also expanding, which makes it sound more like they're getting rid of dead wood and keeping people on who show promise or have demonstrated they can do the work. You just need to adopt an attitude of what happens, happens

2. Keep your ear to the ground regarding other jobs in case you need to apply to something in the near future.

3. When layoffs happen, everyone in the office gets twitchy. It's the nature of the beast. It sounds like the owner is still trying to settle after the latest round of things, so try not to take it personally. The fact that she's training you and seems nice is a good sign. Cultivate that (professional) relationship.

4. Talk to your doctor about your panic attacks. They can suggest coping mechanisms, therapy, meds, whatever you need to get through this.

paula4596

Pretty much ditto to what Dr. Loretta said. Adopt this mantra--"Control what you can, let the rest go." You can control doing a good job, working hard, and maintaining a positive attitude. You can't control what the company ultimately decides to do. You can control looking for a new job--you can control taking care of yourself outside of work...you get the picture. Hang in there, and good luck!

bunnyfriend5

The only thing I would add is to make sure you take good notes (or what ever helps you learn) when people are training you. I've trained a lot of new employees and when someone asks me to show them something again I love to hear something like; "I appreciate that you showed me this last week. However, I looked through my notes and tried XYZ on my own, but still have a question about this piece of work".