Right here my friend! Isn’t the food service industry fun? I’m in my mid-twenties but I know the feeling. I hate my job, it’s the main cause of my anxiety and depression, but I kept saying “next year for sure” or “if X happens one more time I’m done.” But that never happens because you’re beaten down and scared. I finally reached my breaking point and quit [two weeks left! Though my boss isn’t convinced, he keeps saying “I know you said February 5, but I’ve scheduled you until the 29.” He’s in for a surprise] if you have a better job, I say take a deep breath and take the plunge.

If you really want to go to school isn’t there a government program [student loan] you could apply for? I’m Canadian so I don’t know your post secondary education funding. You could also try messaging people in your desired field and see if you could intern or get some sort of small job in the office. Is there any online courses you could take? Idk about that specific field but I’ve found a few affordable online courses. One friend is doing one for accounting and just has to drive to the school for final exams.

Deep breathing helps my anxiety, mindfulness too. It’s hard to describe, but one day there was an ‘aha’ moment and I was able to control my anxiety, but the job I reached my limit which I don’t recommend waiting until then. It’s scary trying something new [I’m scared too with my plans] but I guess you should take the mindset that it’s better to take the risk. You’re miserable now, how could taking this better paying job be worse? Plus, you’ll look back on this moment one day, even if it was a bad idea [Which I don’t think you are making a bad decision] at least you tried and can have some story to tell. Good luck to you!

Well, while I’ve worked with people who have been in the industry for years it’s because they enjoy it, not because they are too scared to try anything else so they try and drag people down.

I did work one job with someone who hated me. The first job I had out of college the owner decided to hire his friend to work the dish pit for some extra cash and he hated me. He even told me so. He also called me a lot of choice words [can’t say any here but I’ll let you guess what words one could use to insult a female] he was also mature enough to make faces and gestures behind my back [other people told me] he hated me because I was quiet and did my work, which to him meant he could call me names. [The biggest one was he would call me a virgin because he claimed the reason for my attitude was because I’ve never been laid.] Anyway I brought it up to management and because he was friends with the owner they just shrugged and said watcha gonna do? Thankfully he only worked there one summer.

Perhaps make a promise to yourself not to return? You know you’re not happy, so even it doesn’t work out with this new job, go to a different restaurant, or try a different field. I know you say you enjoy who you work with, but they seem kind of negative and hurtful. I worked with these sisters for two summers, sure we could joke and talk and we got along, but they would not listen to me when I [as their manager] asked them to do things, or they would follow me around proclaiming how the place would close down. ‘Oh this place is going to close, I’m so glad I’m going to become a teacher and this is just a summer job’ ‘why should I sweep? This is just a summer job before I become a physiotherapist, what are they gonna do? Fire me? Haha’ yea. I got that a lot, it wore me down and made me panic.

Have you ever tried asking yourself what’s the worse that could happen? If this job doesn’t work out what’s the worse that could happen? Once you figure that out, try asking yourself if this job doesn’t work out, what to I have time to do? Or what would I do? Just so you realize it’s not as bad as you fear. But, try focusing on the best case.