I can't cope at work!

[xxpaigiexx]

Hey,

I've worked at my current job for almost 4 years. I've always been an anxious person and find it difficult sometimes juggle my work load on busy days. I work in an office, so as well as answering phones and booking appointments etc. we also have our own work load to work around the phone calls. Usually I am okay. But recently I have been getting a lot of work from my managers and from someone who works with us, booking extra appointments, looking at old records and digging out archived paper work.
I honestly don't mind helping people, and I'm happy to do it usually. Anyway long story short, I am overwhelmed.
My line manager was looking for something the other day and realised some paper work wasn't scanned in by me and some of my colleagues, it's a minor thing really, but because some of our systems have been changed it affects his work more than anyone else, so that's why he gets so angry about it. Anyways, I was about to leave the office last night and he noticed he started going on about it was unacceptable blah blah blah, don't get me wrong he's right, we've all had a conversation about it before and I know it's wrong I forgot to do it, but I am so overwhelmed right now that to be honest that is just a small dip in the ocean compared to things that I'm not managing to get done due to assisting other people. On Tuesday I have my appraisal and I know that this is going to be brought up. I am trying my damnedest right now, but I am going through a lot of stress outside of work, trying to do too much at work.

I just feel like if I continue trying to do so much and also working myself up I am going to end up having a mental break down or something, I just feel like I am going to snap anytime soon. I am so stressed and so unhappy right now.

[Hiraeth]

How did the appraisal go?

A good manager should listen to your concerns and step in to help. If other people are asking you for assistance and dragging you away from the work that your direct manager believes it's most important, you should let him know, and it should be his job to have conversations with those other people and say that you're not available to help them right now, because you have many other deadlines to fulfill. Good managers know how to set boundaries for themselves and their employees. I see it every day in my workplace - there's a lot of deadlines and a lot of tasks, and various team leaders are always negotiating amongst one another for a bit of each other's employees's time. Very often the answer is "I can look into it, but most likely not".

Wise leaders know that overworking people is unhealthy and will lead to burnout. It's not productive, it's short sighted and causes more problems in the long term. If no one up the chain of command at your workplace knows this and lives by it, then it's not a healthy place to work.

You've been working here for a while now. Were there times in the past when things got this hectic? How was it dealt with back then?

[Always *]

Some people are not meant to be managers unfortunately.

Have you tried talking to your manager and letting him (her?) know that you are overwhelmed? Maybe if you let him know you have a lot to do at work and that you aren't purposefully overlooking things then it will help. A good manager will understand that and (ideally) support you.

[xxpaigiexx]

Hey,

Thank you both for such wonderful advice.

My appraisal went fine, I worked myself up over nothing. Both managers have said they are really proud of me, and I am finally starting to shine within the department and I am the employee that has shocked them the most with how far I have come. I just find it really hard to not get worked up over things to do with work, I don't have a switch off button, when it comes to the weekend I am already thinking about what may go wrong come Monday, and it shouldn't be like that.
They never seemed to give me as much work as they are giving me now, maybe it's due to my improvement, I don't know. I try not to let them see how bothered and how worked up I get. I find it difficult to say no to them, especially as there have been issues in the past when staff have refused to do certain things because they don't feel it's their job to be doing. Some of the things I'm being asked to assist with aren't really my job and aren't things I should really be doing. I've been asked to start doing refunds and that shouldn't really be done by me, if something wrong happens then it falls on my head. I don't mind helping people, but if things go wrong I will have to tale the blame for it.

Thank you guys once again.