It’s not until you enter the real world when you realize the value of your first job. For me, my first job was in a restaurant as a hostess. It was a small burger place that everyone loved. Modern, with a slight rustic ambiance, the restaurant was low key but high stress. Every weekend, it was packed with wait times being close to an hour.
There I was, a sixteen-year-old girl, trying my best to manage the crowds.
In the beginning, I would stress out over every little thing. Several times throughout my shift, I needed to take a break and just remember to breathe. It wasn’t until I stepped back and took a moment to reflect when I realized how unnecessary my stress was. It is hard to acknowledge how unwarranted stress can be in the moment. it’s even possible that you are reading this article right now and feeling stressed. It’s time we ask ourselves, “Why am I feeling this stress and is it worth it?” Many times, we become stressed or anxiety-filled over a situation that hasn’t happened yet or because we are working the situation up in our heads to be something it isn’t.
Now, I know I am not a professional psychologist who is trained in helping patients identify and manage stress but hear me out, have you ever been nervous or stressed about a situation that hasn’t happened yet? Do you create false perceptions in your head in anticipation of a future situation? Do you find it hard to live in the moment because you overthink and overanalyze situations? If you answered no to any of these questions, good for you, I envy you. As for the majority of us who answered yes to one, if not all of the questions, know that you are not alone.
Living in the moment is hard. Trying not to overthink a situation is hard. Living stress-free is hard. It takes time, practice, and patience to try and overcome what seems like an impossible task. Take it from me — I took a semester long class about living in the moment, and I still stress out about any future situations.
I am not writing this article to inform you about ways to manage your stress because it is different for everyone. Honestly, I haven’t figured that out for myself yet. This article is meant to show you that you are not alone and that is it more common than you think.
I started my first job over four years ago, and it wasn’t until I left that I realized the impact it had on me. Some might say that they don’t remember their first job, or it was just a meaningless way to make money, but for me, it was so much more. It taught me how to interact with people and become more confident and outgoing. Most importantly, it taught me that stress and anxiety are not emotions to fear, rather they are emotions to conquer. Learning how to manage our stress and anxiety is the first step to living a fulfilled life. Being able to take control of the situation and live in the moment are concepts that my simple job as a hostess in a small restaurant has taught me.
Take a look back on your first job and ask yourself if that job had taught you anything. I bet you will be surprised by the answer.
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