Carrie Boyle

Shyness and social anxiety.......words we hear often and which trip off the tongue with ease but living with either can be anything but easy. 

• Heart pounding, sweating, dry mouth, mind racing, stomach churning, limbs trembling and to top it off…. blushing, which only invites more unwanted attention your way. 
• Your mind never switches off, constantly over analysing every interaction - past and future – worrying about what you did say, what you didn’t say, what you’re going to say.  
• Your inner critic shouts  ‘you should be more confident’ and you yearn to be but you just can’t.  It’s as though you’re trapped in an invisible cage and no matter how hard you try, you can’t seem to break free.  Through the bars you see other people who radiate confidence and are living their best lives whilst you feel you’re standing in the shadows of your own life. 
• You dread social situations; parties, after work drinks, family events - basically any gathering that involves social conversation sees you running for the hills.  You want to join in but always find yourself on the periphery, rarely contributing, and when you do, you feel extremely self-conscious and worry about how others will perceive you.
• You have a love-hate relationship with being in the spotlight, avoiding situations where you’re feel exposed or in the limelight in any way but at the same time longing to be noticed,  feel seen, appreciated and included. 
• You find it hard to meet new people, never quite knowing what to say therefore missing out on opportunities to make new friends, find a romantic partner, and expand your horizons.
• You know that to achieve the success you want, you have to get better at putting yourself forward but you feel embarrassed and awkward.  Talking about yourself and your achievements feels excruciating. 

Any of the above sound familiar, you’ve come to the right place!