Hello!

I was hoping somebody could shed some light on the rules around wearing a mask. I have anxiety, I feel panicked around people who I do not know already. Now, this is where it gets fun, I work in a coffee shop 🙃 it tends to get really busy these days and obviously I feel even more nervous because I cannot see anyone’s face underneath their mask so my anxiety is all over the place at the moment. My work has now changed their rules and it’s mandatory for staff to wear masks as well as customers but I do not feel comfortable with it. Not that the mask is uncomfortable (although it is), but I mean in myself. I feel uneasy, stressed, just so much emotional discomfort. I feel stupid to say this but I feel like I’m going to burst out crying every time I am forced to wear one and I get a horrible sickness feeling in my chest. I’m also claustrophobic and I just feel so smothered when wearing it. I’m desperately wanting to know where I stand with this because the only information I can find is that my company cannot routinely ask me to provide any written evidence of this and written evidence includes exemption cards that I can download from the gov website (please note that the receptionist at the doctors also told me to do this)