Social Anxiety

Social anxiety is daunting and difficult to overcome.

I didn't know that I had Social Anxiety until I read a book called "Know your mind" and I read this because to help me with my my home study course in fitness and nutrition in regards to changing certain behaviours, but also I was having issues with being irritable, I felt fed up and angry; I had not know why this was and why I felt this way but I had to sort it out, for my self and for the relationship with my husband. 

I always felt and sometimes I still feel a little anxious and nervous when it comes to meeting people even going to a family gathering. I think it is because you feel you have to meet a certain expectation and I would worry about not making a good impression. I would stutter, suddenly feel self conscious as I spoke and then I would start to sweat and then begin to not make sense as I spoke or my mind would go blank as I was talking about something, and it would all come out jumbled and I would feel so stupid, I wish at that moment that the world would suck me down into the ground. 

Now I can put a name to these issues as before I always felt different because I felt this way, I have learnt to take control and not let myself let my anxiety get the better of me as it did before; before I would allow the anxiety and the "Voice of doubt" I call it talk me out of doing things such as going to sports club or class, and I would feel regretful and low, gutless because I knew I should have gone and then would leave it to another time, then another. 

The way to handle social anxiety is to seek help and advice, and now that I know that there are other people who have Social Anxiety issues too that I am not on my own, I not mad and learnt from getting fit, meeting new people, from building new relationships that social situations are not all that bad. What was strange was when going to rugby I never had social issues and felt unusually comfortable. I think now it was due to certain intense environments and if you have friendly and confident people around you who can help boost your energy then you can come out of the social anxiety dilemma and take control of it.

I do still get anxious but not to the extent I use too, I still not able to sit on tables where there are people I don't know or there are some people I will speak to but I still not able to go over and ask if I can sit with them I always wait for them to ask me to join them first. However life is a lot easier now and I kind of had to get over the social anxiety hurdle because of wanting to do football coaching and to be able to communicate to people to work in Customer Service.

I hope my blog helps others with social anxiety and see that they are not on their own and if you too have social anxiety and would like to share your story, then please do.

Many thanks for reading my blog.

Carrie