Anxiety Support Group
Anxiety is a physical condition marked by intense and persistent feelings of distress, fear, angst or dread. General anxiety caused by routine day-to-day stresses usually passes quickly and is experienced by almost everyone at one time or another. However, such feelings that linger over time and are very difficult to cope with, and which lack a clear cause, may indicate...
Today is the day I was dreading since the beginning of the year. I was asked ages ago to teach a painting class through the the ed center on the military base here and ever since I agreed to it my anxiety about it has been very high. I think it contributed to my anxiety finally getting so out of hand that I had to seek help.
It doesn't seem like teaching a little class (so far only 12 are signed up) should cause me so much panic. However, I have a fear of public speaking and a fair amount of social anxiety and for a long time I could only imagine the worst case scenario: I'm tongue-tied and no one can understand what I'm trying to say, people get frustrated and revolt. Yikes!!
I guess I could have found a way to back out, but I didn't feel like that would be right, since I had committed to it. I also didn't think I would feel any better about myself if I chickened out.
Anyway, I've done several thought records and employed a few CBT strategies and came around to thinking more positively about the experience. One thing that really helped was holding a couple of little painting classes and they both went well, so that's my proof that even though I am afraid of the worst case scenario, it is more likely the opposite will be true: People will come excited to paint and have fun and everyone will be happy at the end of the night. I try to imagine myself just happy and relaxed and everyone is enjoying the class.
That's what I'm going to focus on anyway, even though it will be very tempting today to give in to fear.
I just wanted to share this big day with all of you who have been so supportive for the past few months. Hopefully my strategies and progress are helpful/inspiring to some of you.
It doesn't seem like teaching a little class (so far only 12 are signed up) should cause me so much panic. However, I have a fear of public speaking and a fair amount of social anxiety and for a long time I could only imagine the worst case scenario: I'm tongue-tied and no one can understand what I'm trying to say, people get frustrated and revolt. Yikes!!
I guess I could have found a way to back out, but I didn't feel like that would be right, since I had committed to it. I also didn't think I would feel any better about myself if I chickened out.
Anyway, I've done several thought records and employed a few CBT strategies and came around to thinking more positively about the experience. One thing that really helped was holding a couple of little painting classes and they both went well, so that's my proof that even though I am afraid of the worst case scenario, it is more likely the opposite will be true: People will come excited to paint and have fun and everyone will be happy at the end of the night. I try to imagine myself just happy and relaxed and everyone is enjoying the class.
That's what I'm going to focus on anyway, even though it will be very tempting today to give in to fear.
I just wanted to share this big day with all of you who have been so supportive for the past few months. Hopefully my strategies and progress are helpful/inspiring to some of you.
Also, anticipatory anxiety is usually 100 times worse than the actual anxiety you will feel when you are in the class and doing an awesome job teaching.
Have fun!
When you see how excited and happy people are to be there it will help to lessen your anxiety.
Good luck. I hope this opens new doors for you and brings you great joy.
@Sandy, you are so right. The students trickled in so I chatted with all of them a little at the beginning that really helped my comfort level and I will keep it in mind for the future.
I don't know why I stress so much about stuff like this. I mean, I really psych myself out sometimes. But maybe it will get easier and easier now that I've done a few of these. I do want to share the joy of art with other people.
Just a thought...
I was so focused on my own potential failure, I didn't even think about how anxious the students might have been. Most of them were very inexperienced and pretty doubtful of their abilities. In the future, maybe I'd do well to focus on putting them at ease. This would also make me less concerned with my own anxiety!
I think once they all got started, though, they had a good time. A couple of them were joking and laughing at themselves a lot!
Don't forget your doing something positive and the people going are glad to be there :)
I think it is wonderful that we can share our "little tricks" to overcome anxiety, as well as our successes.
I know this was a very scary step for you Judy....but you did it! I am so glad you took "action jackson" in facing your fear.
One thing I have learned over the years is sometimes ya gotta "fake-it-til-you-make-it." Know that others before you have been scared to death too in social situations. Did you know Johnny Carson threw up every night before he went on the air? Yup......he got so nervous before going on the air that he would literally get sick to his stomach......but you would never guess that in the way he seemed to be a natural before the camera.
I wish you the very best and a BRAVO for just delving in and doing such an eloquent job!!!!!
MsBlank, I did hear that somewhere about Johnny Carson. I guess Lawrence Olivier had the same thing when he had to go on stage. It's nice to know that even the greats suffer, but they both just kept going. Pretty amazing.