Suffering from severe anxiety can make every day life incredibly hard. Going to the shops, driving to work or being around a lot of people are common triggers for anxiety so finding a job that suits you can be challenging.
We live in a world where finding work is difficult for everybody now. Jobs are scarce and there are many candidates now for each job making the whole thing intimidating. Often, you can feel like people wouldn’t want to employ you because of anxiety and I’ve had bad experiences with job interviews but there are ways around it.
The first thing is to identify your strengths. Maybe you are really good at cooking and find it relaxing. Maybe you are good with animals and enjoy the outdoors? You may start to notice that what you are good at is usually what makes you happy, which is an important factor when looking for a job. By finding your strengths, you will identify an area where you are confident. That confidence is key when finding ways to overcome anxiety in the workplace. You are more likely to succeed in a job where you are anxious but know what you are doing rather than a job where you are anxious and have to learn a whole new set of skills.
The second thing is to find a job where the environment works for you. This may be an office or it could be outdoors. Finding an environment that doesn't bring you anxiety should make the process easier plus you should have more confidence that you will be able to stick it out.
Here are some jobs that I think are good if you suffer from anxiety:
Working in an animal shelter
Working at a bar
Working in computing
Working at a horse yard
Working at an activity centre
Everybody is different which is why only you know what is good for you. The common theme in the above suggestions is that you have the freedom to move around which will help burn off the anxiety. If you’re stuck in an office, the atmosphere can be tense and it isn’t usual for people to walk around a lot. However, if you are somebody that is anxious about being in a busy environment, then an office job might be perfect but working in a bar would be a nightmare.
Animals are proven to help people with mental health issues including anxiety which is why it may be worth finding a job working with them. There are also safari parks but from what I have heard, they are not the best places to work in. Animal shelters are presumably filled with people that care about animals and want the best for them. Those kinds of jobs are also always active.
Working in an area of computing is a strange one as there are a wide variety of companies, some who are strict and some who are very relaxed. The thing is, there are many computing jobs (like web development) where you to work from home. There are also a number of computing companies that encourage a relaxed environment which are well suited for a number of people with anxiety. They give you freedom to talk and move around and express yourself with no judgement.
Be prepared that finding a job will be difficult but take every opportunity as a chance to practice overcoming anxiety. If you don’t get the job, there is probably a good reason for it. We all have a purpose in life and something that we are meant to do. As long as we are patient and persistent, we will find it.
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