How Working at a Grocery Store Changed My Life
I waited in line, shuffling forwards with my basket in hand as they directed the people in front of me where to go. I was sent to register number fifteen. I placed my basket down and tried to quell my subtle panic that always seems to bubble up in these brief encounters. The small talk looming, each sentence hobbling out of my face and reaching for the ears of my friendly cashier. The conversation ended with her letting me know that they were hiring. I asked for an application and got the job three weeks later. It’s been almost a year since and I never could have imagined the ways that this job has impacted my life.
It has drastically improved my social anxiety, both the severity and the ability to handle and process it. Exposure therapy is the closest thing I can relate it to. While exposure therapy generally suggests some sort of controlled environment, there’s not much gradual introduction to working at a bustling grocery store. From day one, you’re immersed in the sea of strangers that floods the aisles hour after hour, working alongside dozens of coworkers who slowly but surely become some of your best friends. Countless conversations as you ring up carts of produce, snacks and frozen pizzas, each day seemingly easier than the last. I’ve talked to more strangers in the past year than I have the other 31 of my life, each conversation chipping away at the wall of anxiety that had built around my heart. While on the “quest” to improve my anxiety this past decade, nothing has made quite the same impact as working, engaging and being open to so many people.
It has strengthened my appreciation for time. Before moving to New York City and getting a job in grocery, I was lucky to play music for a living. While each gig was different, the majority left me with plenty of free time during the day to do with as I pleased. After working 40 hours a week for almost a year, I can say with confidence that I had begun to take all that free time for granted. My Mondays and Tuesdays off now are worth their weight in gold. Having less time to do the things you love makes it all the more precious, savoring my free time now more than ever. When I began to recognize the value of my time, what you do with that time becomes all the more important. The activities, work and people that you choose to spend your time with help reinforce the perspective of what really matters to you in life.
Looking back over the past year, I never would have imagined how much of an impact this job would end up having on my life. Apart from meeting so many great people and having the ability to pay my bills, the ways it has helped me personally, curbing my social anxiety and strengthening my appreciation for time, I didn’t see coming.