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Planning and anxiety disorders

Anxiety can drive perfectionism, hyper-organization, and over-preparation. Planners often have to assume worst-case scenarios. Anxiety can drive those traits in a person, and may make them a more effective planner, but of course beware burnout. If anxiety means dealing with face-to-face conflict is overwhelming, on the other hand, it may not be a good fit. Anxiety also tends to be exhausting and the "recovery" from anxiety or particularly stressful situations can feel an awful lot like depression. Anybody (not just planners) who has had an actual diagnosis of an an anxiety or anxiety/depression disorder should be following whatever treatment plan they have been able to access through a health care professional.
 
I suppose it depends on what you would like to do within the wide world of planning. A GIS Technician with little public interaction? Likely very suitable. Zoning Administrator where you will likely get yelled at on a weekly basis, or a staff-level planner where you need to whip out staff reports and present to boards and commissions? Maybe not. Then again, I certainly have my fair share of anxiety and have done the latter for over a decade (with the help of medication and therapy, of course!). I would guess that a majority of planners have some form of anxiety...it's all about how you work with it and manage it.

Don't be afraid to try something new, though. You will never truly know if you like a certain line of work until you try it!
 
If you didn't have anxiety before, you sure do now!

lol

but seriously, working in the public sector eats at any insecurity or anxiety you may have - the secret is to learn to address it - I tell my staff to have other things in their life that make them feel important like good friends and family, have hobbies, or at least get sleep and exercise - don't look to your day job as what defines you or gives you your self worth
 
Have you been diagnosed? I'd get a proper diagnosis.

Anxiety can trip me up during an important interview or speaking to the general public. Being nervous is routine, but when the feedback from my interviews kept repeating, I knew I had to inquire my doctor about this as it was affecting me professionally. They prescribed me with propranolol to control my anxiety.
 
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FunkBrothers said:
Have you been diagnosed? I'd get a proper diagnosis.

Anxiety can trip me up during an important interview or speaking to the general public. Being nervous is routine, but when the feedback from my interviews kept repeating, I knew I had to inquire my doctor about this as it was affecting me professionally. They prescribed with propranolol to control my anxiety.
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How's your experience with propranolol?
 
RANDMAN said:
Is the planning profession suitable for people with anxiety disorders?
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I am cleithrophobic; have been since I was a kid. As long as people I work most closely with are aware of it, and always leave me a clear path, it's no big deal.

People know not to stand in my doorway to talk to me--either stand a foot or so outside, or come inside and step to one side. Don't block my door.
 
RANDMAN said:
Is the planning profession suitable for people with anxiety disorders?
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Unrelated, but I have heard that transport planning in particular tends to attract a lot of people on the spectrum. (I am neurotypical, but work with wide variety of individuals.) Not sure why.

Jim
 
jumbach said:
Unrelated, but I have heard that transport planning in particular tends to attract a lot of people on the spectrum. (I am neurotypical, but work with wide variety of individuals.) Not sure why.

Jim
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Do transport planners interface with the public often?
 
I don't know that I've ever been officially diagnosed with anxiety, but I was given a prescription for anxiety medications and have a long family history of it. I've dealt with anxiety from public speaking for since I was a kid. Never had issues with small groups or individuals, but hated being on stage or in front of crowds. Right or wrong my dad made do public speaking through 4-H and other organizations to try to deal with it. It wasn't until a year or two in the job that I got used to giving large presentations. I won't say I'm comfortable doing it, but I figured out how to use my anxiety to amp myself up when I speak. I'm not on medication anymore. I internalize a ton of stress and anxiety which probably isn't good, but it works for me. I still struggle to tell people "no" at times. I also over analyze and my procrastination habits are tied to being too risk averse and decision paralysis. I used to spiral at times, but found ways to cope.

I've dealt with a lot of planners that take meds for anxiety. I think looking for jobs that deal with research or long range planning can work well if dealing with people stresses you out.
 
bureaucrat#3 said:
I don't know that I've ever been officially diagnosed with anxiety, but I was given a prescription for anxiety medications and have a long family history of it. I've dealt with anxiety from public speaking for since I was a kid. Never had issues with small groups or individuals, but hated being on stage or in front of crowds. Right or wrong my dad made do public speaking through 4-H and other organizations to try to deal with it. It wasn't until a year or two in the job that I got used to giving large presentations. I won't say I'm comfortable doing it, but I figured out how to use my anxiety to amp myself up when I speak. I'm not on medication anymore. I internalize a ton of stress and anxiety which probably isn't good, but it works for me. I still struggle to tell people "no" at times. I also over analyze and my procrastination habits are tied to being too risk averse and decision paralysis. I used to spiral at times, but found ways to cope.

I've dealt with a lot of planners that take meds for anxiety. I think looking for jobs that deal with research or long range planning can work well if dealing with people stresses you out.
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I thought for long range planners meet with the public alot?
 
jumbach said:
I have a prescription for a very small dose of Xanax, used as needed. Sometimes I need it every night for a week; sometimes I go months without needing it at all.
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This is where I'm at. Sometimes I end up using it twice a day for consecutive days and other times I go for weeks without needing any. Mostly based on external events.
 
Maister said:
This is where I'm at. Sometimes I end up using it twice a day for consecutive days and other times I go for weeks without needing any. Mostly based on external events.
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It's been about 2 years since I filled mine and the last couple of times I used it were for personal events, not work. The last work event that I used it for was a 6 hour deposition.
 
jumbach said:
I have a prescription for a very small dose of Xanax, used as needed. Sometimes I need it every night for a week; sometimes I go months without needing it at all.
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My wife is the same. I think that says more about me than her.
 
Mrs. STTG has what I consider anxiety disorder, but bever diagnosed. She does constantly worry about everything, most of which is mundane. Her brain does not shut down at bedtime, either. Don't know if this is anxiety or not. As an example, if not all the garbage was in the can the day of pickup, and some was added once I brought the can to the side of the house after pick up, she will then say "but there is garbage now sitting in the can for a week." Does not matter to me, it's garbage. She works as an RN and this is an anxiety riddled profession but she does well and is a smart and tough cookie.
 
My peak anxiety moment was open heart surgery. Everything after that seems like a nothin.
 
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I have suffered from insomnia for a long time and have a hard time unwinding my brain. This reached a fever pitch in 2020 where the lack of normal sleep, exacerbated with having a baby at home, and then the increased stress from running a department and the overall world atmosphere from Covid that just made me miserable. I am now on Zoloft to help temper the anxiety, and I take a separate medication to sleep.

Whenever I accidentally run out, I can notice the change and wonder why it took so long to deal with it in the first place.

I do also have social anxiety, but it does not manifest itself when I am at the counter or running a meeting - it simply means that I struggle with some parties and hanging with new people.
 
dw914er said:
I have suffered from insomnia for a long time and have a hard time unwinding my brain. This reached a fever pitch in 2020 where the lack of normal sleep, exacerbated with having a baby at home, and then the increased stress from running a department and the overall world atmosphere from Covid that just made me miserable. I am now on Zoloft to help temper the anxiety, and I take a separate medication to sleep.

Whenever I accidentally run out, I can notice the change and wonder why it took so long to deal with it in the first place.

I do also have social anxiety, but it does not manifest itself when I am at the counter or running a meeting - it simply means that I struggle with some parties and hanging with new people.
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It's weird for me because I have absolutely no problem interacting with people, or speaking to a group. I am an "off the scale extrovert," but there does come a point in every day--usually around 6 p.m.--when I am ready to shut down and be by myself (with only my wife) for the rest of the evening. Telling me suddenly about an event the very night it's happening is not a wise move. (If I am told about it a day or two ahead of time, I can plan for it.)

That's why I like my 53-minute commute home: it's my decompression time. Just me and the podcasts (or music, occasionally).
 
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