Archive for the ‘Public speaking’ Category
The public humiliation was over - for now
Things were going downhill fast. I was screwing up, and everyone noticed. My face was now bright red. Not the usual mild [tag]blushing[/tag] that everyone experiences from time to time – oh no, this was a bright, crimson-red, bordering on reddish/purple - probably very freakish looking and undeniably noticeable.
Fighting to hide my social anxiety
I’d like to say that this experience turned out ok and that I got through the course without a hitch, but that wasn’t the case. I suppose you could say that I psyched myself out before the class got underway by believing that no other outcome was possible other than complete and utter failure and [...]
Social anxiety disorder and an overwhelming urge to run
As the instructor proceeded to welcome all of us to the latest company workshop, I was filled with a sense of dread. I figured that the introductions would start in less than 5 minutes. Though I was on the verge of a total meltdown, I couldn’t help but notice the irony in the fact that [...]
Class is in session
The once quiet classroom was now filled with loud conversation and laughter – quite a contrast to the serene setting only moments ago. Amazed at how loud a few dozen people could be, I was vaguely aware of the fact that I was the only one not taking part in all the idle chit-chat. Surely, [...]
The moment of truth
The training session was one of those events that brought out the worst in me. Yes, I knew about relaxation techniques and positive self-talk, but in reality the experience was so intense that it chewed up those techniques and spit them out. Fact is, I had a hundred different ways to put myself down and [...]
Arriving at the workshop
My daily commute to work was stressful back then. Normally, it was about an hour, to an hour and a half, of bumper-to-bumper traffic, accidents, aggressive drivers – you name it. However, the morning of the big seminar, I found myself pulling into my parking spot without any recollection of how I got there. Obviously, [...]
A week before the workshop - social anxiety and desperate times
As the day of the workshop approached, my anxiety made it impossible to get on with my normal life. 100% of my mental energy was focused on this, seemingly, impossible feat I had yet to perform. Yes, impossible was a good description. No matter how hard I tried to be optimistic and level headed about [...]
Social anxiety and relaxation techniques
Most self-help books and tapes have dedicated at least one chapter to relaxation techniques. Breathing exercises, positive self-talk, soothing music, mental imagery, and grounding techniques are among the most popular. Most of these methods are built on solid scientific research, and there is no doubt in my mind that they are an invaluable resource in [...]
Public speaking - my biggest fear
Without question, my biggest fear is, and has always been, [tag]public speaking[/tag]. Certainly, I’m stating the obvious here since it ranks among the top fears of the general population, let alone social anxiety sufferers. However, I doubt that the average person can comprehend the stark terror experienced by a socially phobic person.
In my case, public [...]