It’s fair to assume that if I have something coming up that I’m worrying about, I’ll be thinking of a thousand different ways things could go wrong. Because of this, situations often seem like they’re going to be worse than they realistically could ever be. Like a vicious cycle, the anxious thoughts can increase. However,…
Rattle the stars Hundreds and hundreds of books overflowing from my bookcases show that I’ve always been a big reader. You can usually find me in the middle of reading something. I find it to be incredibly safe and familiar with my head in a book. The fact that I can escape to other worlds,…
One girl, a gap year, a university, and a whole lot of fear. That’s the run down of things right now. Let me explain… Things don’t always go to plan My intention was to start university last year, straight from college as most of my friends were doing. I was a mix of excitement and fear….
When you experience social anxiety, 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…
![How self-help books can help you with social anxiety [with recommendations]](https://quietconnections.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/How-self-help-books-can-help-you-with-social-anxiety-768x512.jpg)
An unexpected prescription for social anxiety When I went to see my GP, it wasn’t solely focused on social anxiety, but the feeling of anxiety overall. It was only upon describing my symptoms and experiences that we found ourselves discussing social anxiety specifically. As I’m sure we’re all aware, there’s no direct ‘cure’ for social…
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…
Did you know there are three aspects of happiness? In order to feel truly happy, we have to fulfil each of these areas: Pleasure, Engagement and Meaning. Let’s briefly explore why each of these components are important to your happiness; what activities might look like in each area; and the kind of things that could…
I know so many people who have had experience of not feeling good enough and plagued with self-doubt and suffering low self-esteem as a result. Due to poor manual dexterity due to the Functional Neurological Disorder I suffer from, I thought I would put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and share my own…
Breathing. Pfft!! How could breathing possibly help with anxiety? I used to feel so annoyed that anyone would even suggest the idea of using breathing techniques. “This isn’t something I have any control over!” I’d think with a roll of my eyes, “Don’t people know how paralysing the fear is for me?” It’s going to take…
Three years ago, I had just finished secondary school, and one of my friends asked me to write a guest post for her blog. Naturally I said “yes of course”, and then spent the next few weeks thinking “I have absolutely no idea what I’m going to write about.” I found myself thinking a lot…
Take a look at the other side of confident comedian, Rhod Gilbert, in his documentary “Stand Up to Shyness” and see how stand up boosts the confidence of his three volunteers. Stand-up comedian Rhod Gilbert is painfully shy. Yes, he can stand up in front of 20,000 people and make them laugh but he finds it…
Talking in front of large groups or individuals can be tough for anybody living with social anxiety. I prefer to be around a friend or somebody I’m familiar with when speaking to one or several new people (and a bit of Dutch courage might help me too!). However, in the workplace you will not always…