“You have to step out of your comfort zone! Just do it!”. My entire life I have been hearing this. And chances are, you have too. When I was 13, I attempted to just step out of my comfort zone (like they told me to). And I literally got stuck on top of a 12-foot…
It’s easy to get into the habit of avoiding exercise because we’re feeling self-conscious. With body image being a key shame trigger for both women and men, I know I’m not alone in worrying what people will think of my sweaty red face, blotchy chest, wobbly bits, inability to control my panting, and even the…
We’re super excited to be celebrating being awarded almost £220,000 in National Lottery funding to support our work with people who feel anxious and avoidant in social situations. The grant will be used to run more activities across Cornwall that support people in growing confidence and self-acceptance whilst making new friends. As many of you…
At 7 years old, I felt so terrified when doing a ‘weather forecast’ at school, I nervously farted in front of my class. At 26, I froze during a 3-minute presentation whilst on a ‘Projecting Professional Confidence’ workshop; feeling unable to finish I ran back to my seat and held back tears as my body…
‘Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage and creativity. It is the source of hope, empathy, accountability, and authenticity.’ Brene Brown – Daring Greatly. Like many introverts, I have always been a chronic hater of sharing with the group. Allowing myself to be vulnerable – seen, heard and judged. Speaking in class, staff…
“Just put yourself out there”, “it won’t come to you, you have to go and get it” or even, “life is meant to be lived out there, not inside.” We’re pretty familiar with these words; they’re comments we’ve all likely heard, even if they were not directly aimed at us. Yes, sure, they can be…
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…
Change is something that I find incredibly daunting, and is often the root of anxiety for me. I find myself feeling very safe in normality and routines, and so big changes are often something that I struggle with a little. Something that I have noticed, however, is the importance of celebrating positive change. An example…
Speaking at Cornwall Business Fair alongside Sally Heard, CEO from Cornwall School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE), I opened up about the hidden challenges of social entrepreneurship: feeling like you’re not good enough and don’t belong here. The imposter experience is something I think the majority of us have experienced, be that in our careers or personal…
Feelings of anxiety often stem from a lack of control over uncontrollable aspects of situations. Thinking I need to be able to control everything to ensure that I don’t feel anxious is often what fuels the anxious feelings. Having grown up referring to this as the ‘vicious circle’, I have realised that whilst I recognise…
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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…