If you’re human, you’ve most likely had a time in your life where you felt shy about something. Whether it be approaching someone, giving an oral presentation or something more. However, if you’re a bit more on the reserved side, then almost everything feels magnified 10 times over. Here are some struggles that may seem familiar if you’re a shy person:
1. Avoiding Eye Contact
This can be a big one. Who knows why we’re so afraid of eye contact, but honestly it can seem like a death sentence. We may make a point to not look the other person directly in the eye. If you end up glancing over and their eyes meet with yours, you may feel like you want to hide or run somewhere far, far away.
2. Talking to Strangers
Have you ever had to work yourself up to asking a question to someone in a clothing store? The feeling of heat rushing through your body as you take the steps to approach them? Mustering up the courage to talk to someone you don’t know can be the most anticipating, anxiety inducing thing ever. Once it’s over, though, you kind of forget about it and move on. Sometimes it’s just hard to actually get to the end result.
3. Oral Presentations
We’ve all had to give these in one of our classes — You’re standing in the front of a room, with so many pairs of eyes staring you down. Your throat feels as if it might close and you want to take all of the attention away from you. It’s terrible, isn’t it?
4. Thinking All Eyes Are on You
Is anyone looking at me? What if they’re laughing at me? These are a couple of examples of the thoughts that may have run through your head a few times. As a shy person, it’s hard to shake the feeling that someone is always watching everything you do, which leads to more reclusion.
5. Dreading Being Picked for Anything
It seems like your internal pleas of “don’t pick me” become misinterpreted by professors, instructors or whoever has authority over the situation.
6. Someone Approaching You
The only thing worse than you having to talk to someone is having them talk to you first. Mostly because you’re so caught off guard by it, and you may find yourself thinking why ask me, of all people? Or Ahhhh, I really don’t feel like talking!
Either way, it may not go as badly as you think, and talking to people and/or stepping outside of your comfort zone can be for the best… right?