Is it possible to be a cashier with social anxiety

People with social anxiety can take up a job of a cashier. Considering that the symptoms of social anxiety can cause a great sense of distress in individuals with a demanding role such as a cashier providing the right treatment and therapy options to such individuals might not only help them feel less anxious but also make them feel more confident over time.

Many people who experience social anxiety feel less confident about taking up a job due to their prior experiences of rejection or termination concerning their anxiety issues.

However, people with social anxiety who would like to take up a job of a cashier or who would like to continue effectively as a cashier must understand that giving up on their job role because of their anxiety issues might not lead to any good rather might cause financial instability and stunted personal growth.

A healthier alternative to quitting one job as a cashier due to social anxiety could be to make oneself aware and equipped with the various treatment and therapy options that could help them resolve their anxieties and carry on their duties optimally.

What are some situations that a cashier might encounter at work that might cause a sense of anxiety?

Communicating with coworkers

Communicating with coworkers is a very basic requirement at any workplace. However, this requirement might cause extreme feelings of anxiousness and stress in individuals with social anxiety.

Cashiers with social anxiety might also be required to communicate with their coworkers to meet their goals and smoothly function in the workplace.

However, in some cases, some cashiers might experience a sense of anxiety while interacting with their coworkers due to the anticipated humiliation that the coworker might cause to them.

Cashiers must understand that coworkers do not add to the problems but help them resolve work-related issues when required.

Need to maintain a smile

Many companies propose that their employees greet their customers with a smile on their faces unconditionally. This requirement might be very challenging for those having social anxiety.

Though many cashiers might not have much say in this requirement of the company they can adopt self-help strategies such as using a mask while the customer approaches them or mention about their challenges to the employer beforehand to avoid any confusion or negative feedbacks from the employer.

Interacting with a large number of people

The number of people that cashiers interact with daily vary each day. Some days the queue of people might be very small while on other days it might be very big due to certain important events and occasions.

Cashiers must mentally prepare themselves to deal with a large number of people before signing up for the responsibilities as it is their primary role to interact with the customers.

To get over their fears of interacting with a large number of people daily cashiers should work on their anxieties and resolve their issues to a level where they can effectively deal with customers.

Small talk

Many companies also require their employees to carry out small talks with the customers to build a friendly relationship

Cashiers might often be asked to carry out these small talks with their customers to build customer loyalty. For others, it might be easy but for those with social anxiety, this might be a very challenging task.

Nevertheless, the cashier with social anxiety must understand that it’s either resolving one’s anxiety issues or dealing with financial instability for a long period.

Cashiers must actively seek help in the form of treatment or therapy to become eligible for the role of a cashier.

How can a cashier be calm with social anxiety?

Giving up on one cashier role due to one’s anxiety issues might be very difficult for the people who made such decisions however they must be aware that there are other possible ways to deal with their anxieties and yet keep their jobs.

Some ways that a cashier with social anxiety can keep themselves calm are:

• They can inform their employers about their conditions and the drawbacks of extreme symptoms.
• They can actively try and change their perspectives on a large number of people on certain days. This can be done through cognitive reconstruction when one tries to change the negative perspective that they hold about a large number of people with more neutral or positive ones.
• Since the onset of the pandemic as wearing a mask has become mandatory to keep away from the infection this can be a major benefit for those with social anxiety as much of their facial expressions can be covered up with the help of the mask that they put on.

What is social anxiety that can be experienced by some cashiers?

Cashiers who experience social anxiety might feel uncomfortable being in social situations to an extent that it hampers their daily functioning. 

Individuals consider public spaces as potential spaces of humiliation and embarrassment. Social anxiety affects how a person Interact with the world around them.

Social anxiety can be differentiated from shyness. In that shyness does not affect an individual’s daily life and functioning, moreover shyness is short-lived.

On the other hand, social anxiety is persistent and negatively impacts various aspects of an individual’s life like their ability to work productively or even develop or maintain close bonds with people outside their family.

What are the symptoms of social anxiety that can be experienced by some cashiers?

The symptoms of social anxiety experienced by some cashiers can be both physical and psychological.

The most significant physical symptoms of social anxiety are:

•  Nausea
•  Excessive sweating
•  Shaking or trembling
•  Lightheadedness or feeling dizzy
•  Increased heart rate

The psychological symptoms that individual experiences during a social anxiety attack are:

• Excessive and intensive worry about the social situation
•  Worrying days or even weeks ahead of an important social event
•  Trying to camouflage themselves in the background all we need to avoid the social situation on a whole
•  The need for intoxication to face a social situation
•  The constant worry of being observed by other people
•  To avoid social contact an individual might also miss out on school or work.

In addition to these cashiers with social anxiety may avoid social interactions such as asking another person a question when in doubt, potential job interviews, shopping, using public services like transport or washrooms, carrying out activities in public such as speaking or even eating in that matter.

How can cashiers manage their anxieties using self-help techniques?

Lifestyle changes

Apart from therapy and medication what works best to manage social anxiety is certain lifestyle changes. These may include:

•  Regular exercises
•  Having a balanced diet,
•  Socializing and talking to people about their anxiety,
•  Journal writing to express and understand one’s feelings and
• Avoiding alcohol or drugs.

Take control of your breathing

It is normal for anxiety to bring about changes in your body, for instance, increased breathing. these changes often make an individual feel uncomfortable.

One can take control of this discomfort by carrying out a few simple steps such as holding one’s breath for two seconds and slowly letting it out through their mouth.

Repeating this step several times until one feels relaxed. This is most effective when one sits down in a comfortable position with their back straight.

 

Carry out progressive muscle relaxation

Research indicates that certain activities such as walking, or jogging can help in killing anxiety. Another effective technique to kill anxiety is progressive muscle relaxation.

Progressive muscle relaxation involves flexing and releasing a group of muscles in one’s body which helps to maintain their attention on the feelings of this contraction and relaxation.

Prepare ahead of situations

It is best advised that people who experience social anxiety must plan ahead of these situations that make them nervous to increase their confidence.

Start small

to kill social anxiety people must start small. In that individuals must avoid big social situations and start with the situation that they are compatible with.

For instance, one can start by going for lunch with friends and family members rather than with a set of individuals that they’re not familiar or confident with.

Push back negative thoughts

One very effective way to kill social anxiety is to focus and work on one’s negative thoughts actively.

Think about the negative thoughts that one has about a particular situation and write them down. Following which the person is required to write down positive thoughts that challenge the negative ones.

Sensory awareness

One’s senses can help them calm down while they feel anxious in any situation. For some people trying to look at photographs that give them a sense of happiness or using a particular scent that can help to distract them from the negative thoughts and reconnect with more positive ones can help to kill the anxiety at the moment.

Like other physical conditions, even social anxiety has different approaches for its management and treatment. Some people might only need a single type of treatment while others might require a combination of approaches.

Some of the ways to manage or treat social anxiety using therapy  are:

Cognitive-behavioral therapy

Cognitive-behavioural therapy helps an individual to control their anxiety by using strategies like relaxation and breathing. It works on the principles of replacing negative thoughts with positive ones.

Exposure therapy

Exposure therapy is a kind of therapy in which an individual is exposed to a particular situation that they usually fear in a graded manner.

It usually starts with exposing the individual to a situation that is least triggering when the individual gets comfortable with this situation introduced or exposed to them with each session individuals become comfortable with a real-life situation that is otherwise anxiety-provoking.

Group therapy

As the name suggests group therapy usually involves two or more individuals who are experiencing similar symptoms and problems.

It is based on the principle that when an individual interacts with other people who are suffering from the same condition or fears they might not feel left alone or isolated.

This kind of therapy also helps in developing and maintaining social skills or techniques to interact with people in other social settings.

 Prescribed medication

Social anxiety can also be treated with the help of medication prescribed by a health professional. There are different types of anxiety medications each with its benefits and side effects.

Online therapy 

Individuals with social anxiety can also seek therapy online. This would involve interacting with the therapist one-on-one over an audio or video call. 

Some individuals with social anxiety might be more comfortable seeking help through this mode than others while in a different case some might prefer face-to-face therapy sessions. 

Conclusion

Carrying out any job with an unstable mental state can be difficult for any individual. However, this can be even more challenging for those who have taken up socially demanding job roles like that of a cashier.

Individuals must consider seeking help from their therapist and resolve their anxiety issues to maintain their job and financial stability while also avoiding mental strain.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best job for someone with social anxiety?

 

It is believed that a teaching job might be considered for individuals with social anxiety as it allows them to practice social interaction with one or two people at a time.

Can you have a job with social anxiety?

Social anxiety disorder can negatively impact one’s employment status. However, if people actively seek help in the form of therapy and other treatment methods carrying out a job with social anxiety can become much easier and doable.

Is it stressful being a cashier?

Working as a cashier can be very difficult and mentally draining. Those individuals who are keen on maintaining their job as a cashier might find ways to get through the day and maintain an optimal performance regarding the challenges and demands that the job role poses.

Does social anxiety ever go away?

Social anxiety can get better for some people but for many, it does not go away on its own without therapy and treatment.

Citations

https://healthreviewnetwork.com/wellbeing/how-to-be-a-cashier-with-social-anxiety/