Congratulations & also good luck to you Rachel! I will have to leave it up to others here to give you advice, but I can offer the following simple tips to help manage your anxiety.
Try to get enough rest so you are not over tired. Eat healthy & make sure you're hydrated. I would recommend eating proteins, say eggs for breakfast versus carbs & avoid sugary foods. Include some exercise or physical activity in your daily routine. Practice deep breathing ... breath in deeply through your nose & exhale fully through your mouth with pursed lips. Are you religious or spiritual? If yes, adopt a mantra such as "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not fear" or something like that, even "I am okay, I will be okay" ... because at root of anxiety is FEAR. Panic attacks occur when the brain's amygdala more or less gets switched on & hyper reacts. Learning to manage your fear should help to some degree. First of all do NOT anticipate that you will or should be fearful. You will do your best & that will be good enough. Just focus on what you are learning to do & need to do. Try to NOT worry or even think about what people will say or think or how anyone will react to you. Think of a guardian angel -someone who loves you - as accompanying you throughout the day & protecting & guiding you. You have no reason to be fearful - or any more anxious than any person would be when starting a new job - because you are capable of doing what is needed, & you will improve & get better as you go along. Tamp down that fear & keep reminding yourself that you are going to be fine & you are going to do a good job. And take it one day at a time.
Employers like McDonalds are usually desperate for honest, reliable, hardworking employees. So someone like you will be valued & appreciated. All you need to do is push your fears to the side & KNOW you will be okay, & you CAN do the job. I don't even know you but just based on your thoughtful & intelligent request made here I am fully confident you CAN & WILL excel. There are also opportunities for advancement over time at McDonalds, & besides being a decent job it will provide you with excellent experience. So this is a win-win.
But don't let that create fear or pressure either because even in the worst case scenario, that it doesn't work out, you just start again. Many very successful people have failed & started over many times. So even that outcome - i.e.; the worst possible outcome - would be okay in the big picture. It would be upsetting at the time, but not the end of the world & something many successful people have survived. So when you break it al down, you really have nothing to lose .... so nothing to fear
Start imagining yourself having a good day, staying balanced & focused, & learning some new things. I (& I'm sure some others here) will be thinking of you & sending positive thoughts your way.
PS - I credit
Warmheart for always reminding people to stay hydrated! It is a good recommendation so I add it in case she doesn't chime in. I also know that I feel like crap & get a headache when I myself am not well hydrated!
