That creepy feeling of someone right behind you...

GameGrrl

I feel like I'm losing my mind here.

I've been working as a receptionist in an office for about a year now. My position has me sitting at a desk in the front of the office and I greet whoever comes in the door, directing visitors and clients to their meetings at various offices. However this position leaves me with my back to the rest of the office.

Over the past few months I've really started feeling like there's someone sneaking up behind me at different times over the course of the day. Part of it is just that the office air circulation means that I get the occarional blast of air-conditioning blowing along my back, which makes it feel like someone is right behind me. Now though I find that I'm getting really sensitive towards it, sometimes seeing things out of my peripheral vision that startles me or makes me jump.

And most recently I have increasing thoughts of my employers/co-workers coming up to me while I'm unaware and acting really aggressively... screaming at me or hitting me, and I'm not sure what's causing that. Nobody at my office has been anything but kind to me, but I still feel like somebody is going to come up from behind me and 'catch' me doing something wrong... even though I have frequent periods where I have no work to do, and my bosses are okay with me playing minesweeper or posting on the forums.

Still, this is starting to bother me more and more, and I'm not sure what to do about it. It's starting to make me feel physically ill sometimes, like I want to go home and not come in to work anymore. Any thoughts? Anyone know what causes this?

matt has a problem

Sounds like a form of anxiety. You could always buy one of those small bathroom makeup mirrors and use it as a rear-view mirror on your desk. If it's really affecting your work/life though, you should see a doctor.

truck-a-sauras

you can buy a rear view mirror to mount on your monitor. Look around at ThinkGeek's website or google it. being able to glance in your rear view and see there is nobody behind you should put you at ease quickly.

edit: beaten. glad to see other people think it is a worthwhile idea to try though.

Buttcleft

GameGrrl wrote: »

I feel like I'm losing my mind here.

I've been working as a receptionist in an office for about a year now. My position has me sitting at a desk in the front of the office and I greet whoever comes in the door, directing visitors and clients to their meetings at various offices. However this position leaves me with my back to the rest of the office.

Over the past few months I've really started feeling like there's someone sneaking up behind me at different times over the course of the day. Part of it is just that the office air circulation means that I get the occarional blast of air-conditioning blowing along my back, which makes it feel like someone is right behind me. Now though I find that I'm getting really sensitive towards it, sometimes seeing things out of my peripheral vision that startles me or makes me jump.

And most recently I have increasing thoughts of my employers/co-workers coming up to me while I'm unaware and acting really aggressively... screaming at me or hitting me, and I'm not sure what's causing that. Nobody at my office has been anything but kind to me, but I still feel like somebody is going to come up from behind me and 'catch' me doing something wrong... even though I have frequent periods where I have no work to do, and my bosses are okay with me playing minesweeper or posting on the forums.

Still, this is starting to bother me more and more, and I'm not sure what to do about it. It's starting to make me feel physically ill sometimes, like I want to go home and not come in to work anymore. Any thoughts? Anyone know what causes this?

sounds like the start of an anxiety problem to me, Talk to your doctor.

Sipex

I used to get most of that, it's guilt for not having work to do, even though you can't help it. You feel like you should be doing work but there's no work to do so you slack off.

As for the fear of aggressive behaviour...no idea where that comes from.

archonwarp

That definitely sounds like a form of anxiety. I deal with the same thing on occasion, particularly when I'm stressed about a deadline, or if I'm underslept and overcaffeinated. I would talk to a doctor.

PeregrineFalcon

+1 to the "anxiety, talk to a doctor" - you could always get a convex mirror and stick it on your desk or monitor as well to see if that helps smooth things down right away.

Unless you're doing speed on your break, in which case you should probably stop because it's making you all twitchy. :P

CelestialBadger

Get a decorated little mirror to put on your desk. No-one will wonder about it, especially if you use it for touching up make-up.

Do you have anxieties about your job that could cause this paranoia? Did you previously work for a place that would not let you slack off?

CelestialBadger

PeregrineFalcon wrote: »

Unless you're doing speed on your break, in which case you should probably stop because it's making you all twitchy. :P

Hmm, more realistically, give up coffee!

desperaterobots

Haha. I sympathise! I get this in my room at home some times. I got a mirror for my desk, angled at the door, so I can do a visual check to make sure it's not being opened. I think the mirror thing would help you out too.

Also if you can put anything directly behind where you sit that would prevent people from sneaking up on you; an office palm, or a box on the ground that people might have to navigate around. Something like that might ease your mind a little.

GothicLargo

CelestialBadger wrote: »

Get a decorated little mirror to put on your desk. No-one will wonder about it, especially if you use it for touching up make-up.

They won't care even if they know what it's for.

In cubical land lots of people have big truck/bus convex mirrors just so they notice when people are behind them.

ceres

I was a receptionist for a number of years, so I know exactly what you mean. I was lucky that my seating arrangement made it very difficult for anyone to sneak up on me (by design - I was a security guard), but I still had some very weird moments sitting at that place, especially on night shift when I knew there were zero, one, or two other people in the building.

A mirror is a good idea. Get to know the area around your desk very well. Try to arrange it so there are as few ways for people to get behind you as possible, such as (if it's possible) putting your back against a wall. Sometimes I used to put things like chairs in the path to my seat, or open the drawers of filing cabinets, not because it blocked access but because it was something I would hear if moved.

I don't think you need medication unless this starts getting in the way of your job, or functioning outside of work. You don't need to take a pill because the place where you sit is poorly arranged.

Captain Vash

AND HERE IT IS

http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/accessories/2940/

tadaaaaa

but yeah, like others have said, being familair with your new enviroment will help, if you have the oppurtunity to get to know your office-mates that will help, and if none of that does, you may want to at least talk to a doctor about it.