Triggering: Trying to remain positive.

[Dawn.]

Things have been a little rough lately. More than a little actually. Life has decided to pile up on me and it has finally taken its toll on my mental health. My anxiety and depression has heightened and I feel mentally, physically and emotionally drained. I work 3 jobs, 7 days a week in order to be financially comfortable. This week, I’ve returned back to tutoring due to the school holidays so my schedule has returned back to its usual extremely tight ship. At my full time childcare job is where I feel the most stressed and is what takes the most out of me. There are quite a few staff that are lazy and fail to have basic common sense that have resulted in numerous incidents and complaints from parents. I feel like I’m constantly telling these staff members what to do and I don’t get paid as a supervisor. There has been times when staff have just been sitting around, chatting instead of supervising the children like they should be. I’m extremely tired of having to boss people around. I shouldn’t have to. There’s staff that have been in the industry long enough to know better. I talked to my manager this week about all of this and she was really understanding of it. I was able to get a lot of chest and I did better for it. However, as much as she understood, I know things won’t get done about it because she fails to put things in place. Only now is she finally acted upon it and has done something due to the amount of incidents that have been happening and the complaints from parents. Or I hope so. Now I feel anxious and dread it even more going to work.

The last couple of years have not been easy for me - or anyone. It started off with the severe bushfires and drought, then covid, starting uni, moving houses, changing weekend jobs, my grandmother passing away (the last four all happened in the space of about 2 months), getting a third job and planning my wedding. I’m literally taking it day by day at this point in time. I haven’t felt like this in a very long time. I honestly feel like just resigning from all of my jobs but I know that can never happen due to my finances. The only positive thing is getting married and going on our honeymoon. Because of all the added stress, I can no longer focus or remember things. The last couple of days throughout the week, I had to ask my fiancée to drop off my lunch and water bottle because I forgot it two days in a row which has never happened. I can feel myself drowning but I have no lifeboat to cling onto. My mind feels foggy and it’s almost like it’s blocked. I don’t know if I should play it out until I finish my degree as getting another job may cause even more stress. I find that once I’m not at my childcare job, I’m a totally different person. I’m so much more relaxed and I don’t feel an ounce of stress. I’m a lot less irritated and I have a lot more patience. This week probably has to have been one of the worst weeks working in childcare.

[Arabesque- golfing girl.]

I'm so sorry you are going through all of this and I hope that you will be okay soon. Working three jobs, that's a lot. Would you be able to have someone help you out with paying for something, so that you don't have to work so many jobs? When you are working any job, we are always going to have one or more people who are lazy and they do not want to work, so that makes our jobs even harder because you are doing your job and other people's at the same time and it is hard and upsetting. Would you be able to talk to your boss and have them watch at different times and see what is happening and ask if they would be able to make them work and help out more? I am sorry that is happening to you. Would you also be able to find a different place to work and everyone is helping out and doing what they need to do. Sometimes it can be hard changing jobs because you don't know how they are going to be, maybe you can go and see how the different job is going to be, Google them and see what everyone says about them. You have been through a lot and I'm sorry about everything that is happening now and what you had to go through. I hope everything calms down soon for you and you will be okay soon.

[Dawn.]

Originally Posted by Golfing girl

I'm so sorry you are going through all of this and I hope that you will be okay soon. Working three jobs, that's a lot. Would you be able to have someone help you out with paying for something, so that you don't have to work so many jobs? When you are working any job, we are always going to have one or more people who are lazy and they do not want to work, so that makes our jobs even harder because you are doing your job and other people's at the same time and it is hard and upsetting. Would you be able to talk to your boss and have them watch at different times and see what is happening and ask if they would be able to make them work and help out more? I am sorry that is happening to you. Would you also be able to find a different place to work and everyone is helping out and doing what they need to do. Sometimes it can be hard changing jobs because you don't know how they are going to be, maybe you can go and see how the different job is going to be, Google them and see what everyone says about them. You have been through a lot and I'm sorry about everything that is happening now and what you had to go through. I hope everything calms down soon for you and you will be okay soon.

Thank you for your reply. I'm trying so hard to find another job. It's just getting me down.

Hi Dawn, thanks for reaching out. It's great that you always feel comfortable using the forums as an outlet for all your stresses and frustration. How are things going now with the job? Have things improved since you spoke to the manager at the childcare center?

Job searching is incredibly hard, and I think this is a global thing; not local, regional, statewide, or national. All around the world; we have about three billion people (between 18 and 64) that are eligible to work in one form and another even if not all qualifications are met... but employers and businesses are so stingy about who they hire.

Please understand that I can empathize with the frustration of a job search, and a stressful job that drains your mental, emotional, and physical health.

You are more than welcome to post again, either in this thread or by creating a new one. Wishing you nothing but the best of luck.

[Dawn.]

Originally Posted by Ethereal.

Hi Dawn, thanks for reaching out. It's great that you always feel comfortable using the forums as an outlet for all your stresses and frustration. How are things going now with the job? Have things improved since you spoke to the manager at the childcare center?

Job searching is incredibly hard, and I think this is a global thing; not local, regional, statewide, or national. All around the world; we have about three billion people (between 18 and 64) that are eligible to work in one form and another even if not all qualifications are met... but employers and businesses are so stingy about who they hire.

Please understand that I can empathize with the frustration of a job search, and a stressful job that drains your mental, emotional, and physical health.

You are more than welcome to post again, either in this thread or by creating a new one. Wishing you nothing but the best of luck.

Thank you for your reply. It has gotten a little better but I still feel the burnout of the job. I don't get paid enough to deal with what I have to and it's the stress of having to wait until I finish my degree to get a teaching position.

How much longer until you finish your degree?

Have you tried speaking to your partner about what you've been feeling? I think having their support would be especially beneficial.

[Dawn.]

Originally Posted by Ethereal.

How much longer until you finish your degree?

Have you tried speaking to your partner about what you've been feeling? I think having their support would be especially beneficial.

I'm halfway through my degree so I have about 1.5/2 years left.

I am able to speak to my partner about it.