I want to share my experience of overcoming social anxiety. It wasn't easy, but I'm proud of how far I've come. At first, I was scared and anxious to even go out in a group. Small gatherings of people intimidated me, and I felt like I didn't belong. But what really hurt was when people started taking me lightly and not taking my ideas seriously. I remember working on a project in my office, and someone else would use my ideas and take credit for them. It was frustrating.
I realized I needed to acknowledge my anxiety. Whenever I felt anxious, I wrote it down in a diary I made for this specific purpose. I tried to find patterns in my anxiety – was it certain people or situations that triggered it? After finding the triggers, I started to find reasons for my anxiety. For example, I felt anxious around my friends because I couldn't wear beautiful dresses like they could due to my body type.
It was a difficult journey, and I'm still working on it. But I found that maintaining a diary and observing myself helped me a lot. I learned that the more I ran from situations, the more they haunted me. So, if you're struggling with social anxiety, I encourage you to start maintaining a diary and observe whenever you feel that way. Remember, it's okay to struggle, but it's important to take care of yourself and seek help if needed. You got this! 😀