Is It Okay?

Today brought an end to my first week in my new job. Most of the week has been filled with training and observing. At one point during my paperwork training yesterday I needed to ask the question, "Is it okay to feel a little overwhelmed?"

The woman walking me through the forms and reports necessary for my job looked at me and said it was normal. She gave me the impression that she would be worried about me if I wasn't a little overwhelmed.

There's a lot that goes into this counseling position. While the most important thing is to be there for our clients, the powers that be have high expectations when it comes to documentation.

She told me that I hid my feelings of anxiety well. Usually the new employees she trains show up with a wide-eyed, deer-in-the-headlights kind of stare. She also boosted my confidence by letting me know she thinks I'll be just fine once I get into the job next week.

I think there's a part of me that expected that I would fall right into the ins and outs of the job immediately, since it's a job that I've done before. However, it's been five years since the last time I worked for this company. While the basics are the same, a lot has changed. And I'm very out of practice. Eventually, things should feel like second nature.


I'm really not worried about my ability to perform in this position. I'm looking forward to next week. More than that, I'm looking forward to the following week, when I'm a little more comfortable in the school and with my clients and their families. I look forward to a point in the near future when my anxiety is replaced by a confidence that only comes with experience.


I also look forward to finding an apartment that's a little closer to the school so I won't have to spend three hours a day in my car. Yeah, that'll be swell.