I wish I could say the anxiety goes away. I also wish I could say it gets better. But unfortunately anxiety and stress are all too common to Barista’s and the Supervisors at Starbucks. It helps to talk about it, here on Reddit and to fellow partners at your store. I can guarantee you are not alone in the way you feel.

I was crying just a few hours ago about tonight. It’s going to be a bad night and I already know it. Nobody is terrible at this job. It takes awhile to learn the job then how to multitask while working properly.

Just remember when things don’t go smoothly, it’s just coffee.

Anxiety like this is common. This might help - after each shift write down everything that went went well. Especially write down any compliments or actions that resulted in you feeling good about yourself. Doing this forces your brain to focus on positive facts. Then before each shift read what you wrote the day before to reinforce the positive facts. As you read your list breathe deeply and smile at all the good that you’ve done. Anxiety is a liar - you have the ability to overcome anxiety.

Do you work at a corporate store? If so I highly recommend utilizing Lyra. My anxiety got so bad I had a hard time sleeping and would panic before my shifts. I was able to function fine for the most part during work, but all it took was something to go wrong and I felt like a mess. I took this really personal and believed I was a failure even when someone said good job to me. My anxiety told me that they were just trying to make me feel better.

I’ve had two Lyra sessions and in that time I’ve been learning to view my anxiety as something separate from me. It doesn’t have to define me. Also instead of running from it, which only makes it worse, I listen to my anxious thoughts and reflect on if they are true and what else I can think.

I too am a somewhat anxious person and I’m relieved knowing I don’t have to give in to my anxious thoughts and behaviors. Therapy helps and give yourself time to set yourself up for success by calming yourself before you go in for your shift if you can. A brisk walk usually helps me :)

Give it a month or so. If the anxiety doesn't go away then look elsewhere if you can.

hey love! so yes it’s true, it took me about 3-4 months to feel comfortable with the job. i’m about 1 year in and i still struggle with cs & warming since i’m always on either bar or drive. i don’t get much work related anxiety but more like just in general. there are days, especially recently, where i’m literally trembling and my hands won’t stop shaking because of how anxious i am. but i don’t know if it’s work related, even though this intensity of anxiety only starts about an hour before my shifts and last within my shifts. i’m not sure why it’s like that :(. there are lyra benefits that you (*we*) can take advantage of for free therapy sessions, if you’re open to it too. just know that you aren’t alone, i definitely see where you’re coming from and i hope your partners are as understanding as mine. my ssv’s and sm always ask everyone how the are when coming into the shift and i don’t hesitate to let them know when i’m feeling anxious. they usually try to do their best to keep me where i’m comfortable, but sometimes i tell them i’m fine and suck it up bc it’s just so often and i feel bad (i’m rlly good at drive thru but sometimes talking to people rlly sucks for me bc i get socially anxious but i do it anyways since i’m so good at soloing). but yeah, look into the free therapy !! i’ll probably look into it soon too

also a green bean! i totally feel this. i’ve been there for almost a month! the best thing i did was bring it up to my SM. not sure how friendly urs is, but honestly i sat down with her and i was like hey i’m feeling soooo overwhelmed with everything, i just need the reassurance that things will get better! and she was soooo helpful and consoling! ever since, i’ve talked to so many of my partners about their past training experiences, and it’s made me feel not alone. Don’t be afraid to ask questions! it definitely got so much better for me. there are still times when i forget how to do something, and at first i feel nervous and ashamed but think of it like this: it’s just coffee. drinks are fixable. there is SO much information to learn about this job. you’re human. it’ll take time. don’t be hard on yourself, you’ve got this!!! even if you don’t feel comfy doing something don’t be afraid to be like “hey! do u mind if you show me how to do this first so i can watch you?” more times than not they will be more than happy to show you. new jobs SUCK but everyone’s been there! you r doing amazing 🧡

This is why they offer free therapy 🙃