Valentine’s Day can be far from a happy occasion for many of us. It’s a time when we can feel very alone and get deep into comparisons, self-criticisms and shame. With hearts and flowers everywhere we look, it’s easy to feel a heightened, more painful sense of our own perceived flaws and wonder if we’ll […]
What Dry January has taught me about drinking for confidence. I’ve always loved booze. Drinking has been a way of calming my feelings of social anxiety, giving me the confidence to speak to strangers and get up on the dancefloor at parties. But recently, I’ve been rethinking my relationship with my much loved social lubricant. […]
The winners of Cornwall Chamber of Commerce’s ‘Cornwall’s 30 Under 30 Awards’ were announced today, and we’re very pleased to say that our wonderful Co-Director and Community Coordinator, Stacie, has been selected as a winner for Cornwall’s 30 Under 30 Class of 2018! Stacie has had a whole two days to get used to the idea […]
Vote now to help us get Bags of Help from Tesco Truro Quiet Connections is one of three groups shortlisted to receive the cash award at Tesco Truro and shoppers are being invited to head along to the store to vote for who they want to receive the top grant. This means we need your […]
Let’s face it, we would all rather avoid uncomfortable feelings if it were at all possible. This includes avoiding tough conversations. When we feel hurt or vulnerable, our first response is often to do anything we can to move away from that feeling. We might be choosing to be burying our heads in the sand […]
I lay in bed, staring at my white and boring bedroom ceiling in an attempt to ignore the alarm on my phone that is growing louder with each passing second. I know as soon as I shift my gaze and turn off that alarm, that I will have to deal with the fact that I […]
Coping Strategy I know that worrying is really a waste of my time but I know, for me, uncertainty can lead to worry anyway. Since my last post, there’s been some uncertain times for me. I started university. The very first challenge I knew I’d have to face was collecting the key and I felt a little unclear of […]
Social gatherings can seem endlessly daunting, and it can often feel as though the safest option is to gracefully bow out and avoid such situations. I know this because I have done it countless times, and I know I probably will do it at least a few more times in my life. We often feel […]
In this post, I’ll be sharing my top tips for supporting someone when they’re feeling socially anxious, from the perspective of someone who has experienced social anxiety myself. 1. Avoid blame and shame If the person is a friend or family member, avoid blaming and shaming them for what you may at first perceive as […]
Remember how it felt at school, when a teacher would ask a question that you had no clue how to answer? So many of us have felt the sinking feeling of being picked despite our best efforts to appear invisible. (I’m talking shrinking down in seats, avoiding eye contact with the teacher- the best avoidance […]
In a sense, this is a ‘Tale of Two Cities’ or, more accurately, two countries; actually three if you count this one. This short tale is about asking for help when you don’t think you need it. It is a tale of contradictions. In 2011 I moved, with my wife and two daughters, from a […]
My mantra through school and university life was ‘avoid all eye contact with the teacher and they likely won’t pick on you to answer a question’. It wasn’t that I was a bad student, in fact I was always among the ones topping the class. It’s just that my confidence just seemed to end beyond […]