Hello angels and welcome back to my next mental health monday post! I really hope you loved the last one.

Today I’m gonna have a little chat and advice session surrounding the topic of work. The difference is, having to go to work with anxiety- or any mental illness for that matter. I’m going to give my top tips on surviving work (or even college/university) with anxiety, but this could deffo relate to many mental health issues people may be living with.

Okay, to rewind to around August time. I quit both of my jobs, as I was moving away (for good) and starting university. Throughout August, I was petrified of the thought of uni, but I pretended to be completely okay and excited about it to please everybody around me. I couldn’t keep the act up for much longer, so I decided to defer my place until next year. My mind and overall self just wasn’t well enough to start, but this kind of was the same for starting work again. My anxiety and everything else was AWFUL. I was sitting in my room, doing nothing but be on the verge of a panic attack for weeks and weeks. This was the time I was meant to be starting university…I felt like a failure for not being able to go like everybody else, and not being able to work. I just wasn’t well enough. Don’t get me wrong, I went to so many interviews and actually got so many of the jobs, but I honestly couldn’t hack it. During this time, I poured everything into my blog because it was the only productive thing that I could face and that made me relatively happy.

Fast forward to the end of October, after good two months I spent being too unwell to do anything, I found a job I could kinda cope with alongside my blogging and other things I’m working on. Currently, in December, I’m in the same job and you know what? IM ACTUALLY DOING OK! However, there are a few tips I could give all of you for how I stay ok, because unfortunately, anxiety doesn’t just disappear.

Here we go!

• ALWAYS stay organised. For me, organisation within my work is so important. If i’m not organised and up to date, then my anxiety goes from 0 to 100.
• On the nights before work, I do things that calm me. That could be having a really nice bath with salts and then watching a film etc.
• I always stay on top of anything I’m taking. For example, I’m finding that hemp oil is working wonders for my anxiety. So without fail, I’ll take that before work and hopefully I’m right as rain!
• Let the people who need to know about your anxiety (or anything else) KNOW. So that could be your boss, manager, even the people you work around. That way, they will understand a little better and know why you may be in a certain mood or acting a certain way. You can’t be helped unless you ask for it sometimes.
• I’ve found that beginning on part time hours has helped me. That way, I can ease myself into it without feeling too overwhelmed!
• Make sure what you do for work doesn’t make your mental health worse in any way, shape or form. Your health is so much more important- it’s easier said than done, but finding something that doesn’t trigger those negative thoughts and feelings is paramount.

It’s hard within my line of work to take days off, as I’m absolutely needed for legal ratios. However, I will always look after myself and put myself before work. If I need a day off (when the anxiety is severe), I will take the day off.

I hope my tips on how to keep anxiety at bay through working has helped! I’ll see you next week with my next mental health monday post. Hope you all have a lovely christmas and happy holidays!

Love,

Cade x