One of our favourite things about running a programme like Socially Anxious to Quietly Confident (which runs online twice a year) is seeing our Quieteers grow and achieve things they once didn’t think possible. It’s one thing to tell you about our personal stories on the path from social anxiety to quiet confidence, but you really…
So many of us feel socially anxious in life, fearing judgement of others and avoiding situations we feel afraid in. In fact, more than 1 in 10 of us experience social anxiety; it’s the third most common mental health challenge. Or it may not be that we’re so avoidant, but instead we feel so anxious…
When I look back over my life, I can see a consistent pattern of these 3 things showing up. For a long time, I just felt like this is the way I am, and always will be. Can you relate? 👇 Saying “Yes” when you want to say “No”. And saying “No” to something you do…
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…
I always liked my safe comfort zone. It was small, safe and it left little room for me to make mistakes and potentially embarrass myself, or do anything that could draw attention to me. It wasn’t always like this; at primary school I was happy confident and outgoing. I was bullied all throughout my primary…
It’s like there’s a yoyo inside my head rocking back and forth. Dizzy. I’m in my first year of sixth form when I notice it. Completely out of the blue. What’s wrong with me? I’m going to countless GP appointments, having tests for diabetes, blood pressure checks and a referral to an ENT doctor. No…
Talking about our self-doubt and our anxieties in social situations is still taboo. We tend to think we should be able to do certain things, like talk to strangers and speak up, just because other people seem to manage with ease. It can feel like we’re the only person struggling. Then there’s the stigma we experience when…
Before joining college, I had low self-confidence. I was socially anxious, and at school I was typically described as someone who never talked; the quiet one. The same was said about me by my friends’ parents whenever I went to their houses. My first year of secondary school was when I recognised I was having…
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How do you cope when you feel anxious in social situations? My go-to strategy was always avoidance. I’d choose not to do anything that would put me in what I’d imagine to be an uncomfortable situation. Sometimes, I’d wish so hard that I would become sick so I didn’t have to go somewhere, that I…
How did you choose what to do after school? Did you choose a-levels based on a career path you wanted to take? Took a subject you enjoyed perhaps? Did you study as many subjects at college as you could to keep your options open? Not me. Following the herd I knew I didn’t like a…
I have been ‘quiet’ all my life. Sitting in a room full of others taking turns reading out loud from a book we were studying at that time. It’s my turn to read and my hearts racing, my heads feeling light and I want to hide away. I was the one who dreaded school presentations;…
When feeling socially anxious impacts on your physical health too Exercise and fitness has been a huge trigger for me over the years. Comparison and fear of judgement has kept me from improving my fitness in the way I wanted. I HATED P.E when I was at school. Sometimes I would hide in the toilets or…