24/03/2022
When it came to hard work, knowledge, and dedication, he was top of the class.
And then, it hits…
Sweating, breathless, trembling, increased heart rate, panic, feelings of doom.
Yep, you guessed it, anxiety. Anxiety so bad it caused loss of consciousness. Can you imagine that? Feeling so out of control of your feelings that you black out and fall over?
As someone who has generalised anxiety and panic disorder myself, I know those feelings all too well.
Meet Christopher Ellis, a 2015 Bachelor of Law honours graduate. Winner of two University of South Australia prizes for achieving the highest aggregate grade in the subjects of Administrative Law and Law Honours 1. Joint winner of the Australian Institute of Administrative Law Essay Prize 2015.
Hang on…. sweating, breathless, trembling, increased heart rate, panic, feelings of doom.
Yep. Same guy!
One quarter of Australians will experience an anxiety condition in their lifetime?
Anxiety isn’t bias, it can affect anyone.
What happens when someone is willing to give 'breathless' a break?
We called every single Law firm across the Fraser Coast. emails, online applications, messages.
no, No… nooo NO, no thanks! Sorry. We have enough staff.
Call back in a month. No vacancy!
No one seemed to be up for the challenge of hiring a legal superstar with a mental health condition.
No chance to explain what an asset he could be.
Meet Judica…
I walked into Swift Legal about another position and the Big Boss pulls me aside:
“I remember you. How’s that young man you were trying to find a position for, has he found a position? Because I’ve thought long and hard, and I think I could find a place for him here”.
Chris started the very next week.
Judica researched anxiety, learnt everything she thought she may need to know. She made room in a quiet back office directly across from her for Chris, incorporating new procedures to include Christopher’s anxiety. I’ve never seen such an accommodating Business Owner! She truly went above and beyond to make sure he felt welcomed.
When she speaks of Christopher, she is full of encouragement and positive feedback. She states:
“When I was first approached to take Chris on, I was a bit wary. I thought it would require a lot of extra time and effort to take on somebody with a disability. How wrong I was. Chris took everything I told him onboard immediately and showed a lot of initiative when handling matters. Not only is his research second to none, but he also managed to fully optimise our legal software, making our workflow far more efficient. Although a bit shy at first, he managed to overcome that, and he is now a confident member of our team. I am very pleased to have taken the chance.”
It just goes to show, sometimes new challenges can be scary, not just for our Job Seekers but for the Employers as well! But it truly pays off with a bit of hard work, trust, and courage.
What have you got to lose?
If Chris can do it, so can you!
Kick that anxiety to the curb and get at it!
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Davina Marren-Williams | Employment Coach
“Our deepest fear is not that we are weak.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure”
