as we all know I have terrible anxiety including getting scared of going shopping for no reason but I recently got a cashier job for the summer and it took maybe 2 days before I stopped being afraid of shopping completely because here’s what I’ve observed
sometimes customers ask to leave something at the till while they run off and grab one more thing and when they come back I’ve already forgotten what they look like. if you go shopping at the same store two days in a row or even twice in one day the employees will not remember you at all
if someone takes a little extra time getting their change/card out it’s not annoying, it gives me some extra seconds to chill out and maybe file away some loose receipts. if it takes a TON of extra time to get their change/card out it’s still nice cuz hey I don’t have anything else to do, I welcome that little pocket of calmness
if they accidentally drop their change on the ground then I have something slightly more active to do than just continue to stand there like a mannequin (also I never think any less of them or mock them in my mind, ppl drop things all the time, it’s no big deal)
if the machine doesn’t accept their card on the first try, I’m just thinking “alright, let’s try this again”; the thought of “this must be their fault” doesn’t even cross my mind
in conclusion: if you have a fear of shopping bc of anxiety, working as a cashier for just one day will immediately cure you, highly recommend