The Retail Funk

There is a sickness out there and it is airborne. It is contagious and grows inside someone like mold. The unofficial name for this sickness is Retail Fatigue or the Retail Funk. The Retail Fatigue or Funk affects anyone who works in a Retail business and can leave a lasting impression after the person has stopped working retail. 

The Signs

Do you have it? Here are the signs that you have contracted this sickness. The actual contraction for this sickness will vary. On your first week in the store, you were enthusiastic about the job and you wore rose-tinted glasses. There are so many new things to learn and new people to meet.  After some time, you notice that it gets hard to go to work and you feel physically and mentally drained. You do the same thing every day: you greet customers, sell items and recover the store. The long hours and the reoccurring tasks are the catalysts to getting the Retail Funk.

This sickness is not a real thing, but it might as well be official. I have talked to associates and they have felt the same way that I am feeling: drained and tired of the same routine. It becomes hard for me to smile and greet customers. I feel like a fake and telling everyone who asks that I am having a great day. The store is constantly in chaos and I must clean up after the mess makers. 

My Sickness

This is how I knew I contracted the Retail Funk. One week, I was scheduled to work from Thursday to Monday. Each shift was either seven or eight hours in total. On the third day, I got myself out of bed and grumbled all the way to work. I just came off a seven-hour shift the night before and I had to do eight hours that day. I had a cup of coffee—which I should not drink because of health reasons—and I just did not want to be at work. I clock in and start my long day. About thirty minutes later, I feel a sharp pain in my stomach and I am on the floor with tears in my eyes.

I was in pain. My whole body was on fire and I responded. One of my co-workers saw me and got me to sit down, away from the main floor. She called some managers over. I tried to calm down, but it was like my throat was closing. My body started to shake. I insisted that they do not call an ambulance and I will calm down soon. After another thirty minutes, I went back to the floor, a little calmer. I tried to work again, but the pain came but brought nausea with it. I was in the bathroom in tears when a manager told me that I could go home. I lasted two hours on that day. I rested at home and felt a lot better the next day. I self-diagnosed myself with sleep deprivation and Caffeine overdose.

The same thing happened again the next weekend. It was the same situations and I felt horrible that morning. I did not consume coffee though, but a cup of black tea. I was on another long track of endless work days. I basically did not have a sleep schedule and passed out on the couch half the time. Every morning, the associates and store managers gather for a brief meeting. As the call for the meeting was announced over the intercom, I felt the pain in the pit of my stomach. It was a numb pain, but it was there setting fear in my heart. I must prove that I do not get sick, I thought over and over as I walked toward the escalators. Someone heading toward the meeting told me to hurry up and that is when the world started to spin. I looked straight ahead and started to have trouble breathing. I stopped and pushed my way into a rack of clothes as I started to tear up.

Someone from the Human Resources team saw me and got me to follow her to her office so I could calm down. She asked me what was wrong, and I finally could give a real answer. I was having a panic attack. The very thought of being there and having to fake smile at customers made me panic. The sickness held on tight to every “How are you doing today?” and “What are you looking for today?” I told her the job was getting at me and I was tired all the time. The competitive environment to make my sales goals and make money for the store was putting a heavy weight on my shoulders. I feel like I am under six feet of water five days a week. I only have two days off to come up to the surface. 

The Cure

The Retail Funk is hard to shake off. It holds on with a strong grip and pulls you into a tight, uncomfortable hug. There are moments that make the Retail Funk loosen its grip and makes the job less painful. There are moments when you connect with another person and everything seems right again. Retail or customer service gives the Yin Yang of genuine human relationships.

I do not have a cure for the Retail Funk. I am sure there is one, but it is not clear just yet on what it is. Or I just do not see the cure just yet. If you have the Retail Funk yourself, I want you to know you are not alone. There are many retail workers feeling the same way. I advise you talk to someone about work and what you must deal with to release tensions and stress. It might also be good to find a hobby or something that you like to do to keep from getting stressed. Remember to take the little moments you have not a work as an advantage for self-care and reflection.