panic attacks

David
Alice

Alice
Good evening David. Are you ok?

David
No.

I don't know if I'm going to be able to finish all my work in time and it's stressing me out because people get so mad when I don't and I feel like I let myself down

Alice
This may sound really stupid but just relax. Stressing about not completing it isn't helping the situation. Have a break, grab something to eat and drink and take 10 minutes to refresh and get back into it. What time is it meant to be finished by?

David
It's meant to be uploaded tonight but I normally finish it by 8 am the next day.

Alice
David, all nighters are not good for your health if your pulling them frequently. What time do you go to sleep?

David
Normally just after I upload it at 8 and then I wake up at 11 to start working again.

Alice
Jesus David. How have you not short circuited! You need to sleep. People don't know this but one of the main things that affect a lot of patients who come in with problems is their poor sleep schedule.

Sleep allows your brain to fully reset for the next day and allows your body to rest. Having a poor sleep schedule is a driving factor in mental and physical health issues. I know you may not mean to do it but it really is something that can have such a negative effect on your body.

David
I don't mean to do it. I just don't understand why I can never upload on time.

Alice
You're in a continuous negative cycle. You upload at 8, have 3 hours sleep throwing your sleeping schedule way out of whack and then you do it all over again.

Have you considered taking a break to get into better habits?

David
Not possible.

Alice
Is there anyone who can help you with your workload so you can go to sleep by at least 1-2am and then you sleep until 11?

They can continue to help you until your uploading at 10-11pm and then your getting regular hours of sleep.

David
I could ask some of the people I work with I suppose.

Alice
Then you can start going back to doing it yourself while maintaining that schedule. It's ok to break it every now and then but consistency is important.

David
Thank you for helping me. I just finished my break that you said I should take so I best get back to it.

Alice
No worries David. May I ask what it is you do?

David
That's a question for another day :)