| I have always been a worrywart. I hate putting myself | | | | everyone. The fear of making a fool of yourself is too |
| out in the open and potentially making a fool of myself. | | | | great to overcome. This is where some relaxation |
| I am very shy and do not like to be put on the spot. | | | | techniques come in. Deep breathing exercises are |
| However, that all changed (and had to!) when I went to | | | | always a good thing to do when stressed out. It |
| college. As a music education major, I am asked to do | | | | relaxes our muscles, which often become tight and |
| some pretty ridiculous things every single day (sing in | | | | make carrying out simple tasks even more difficult. |
| front of your friends, play a piece by sight on an | | | | Also, deep breathing releases endorphins, which are |
| instrument you just learned how to play, to name a | | | | natural painkillers. Being nervous about making a fool of |
| few!). I realized that being a shy, overly conscientious | | | | yourself can sometimes come on when you have a |
| person was just not going to cut it. So how did I | | | | low level of self-esteem, and that is a whole other |
| overcome the idea of making a fool of myself? | | | | monster to tackle. |
| I just did it. | | | | However, I will say this: our self-esteem is often |
| Early on, every time I was asked to do something out | | | | influenced by what others think of us, or what we think |
| of my comfort zone I had this internal war with myself | | | | others think of us, and then our brains run with the idea |
| that went something like this: | | | | and make matters a heck of a lot worse. Know that |
| "I am not doing it." | | | | you are not alone. It sounds corny, but you have to |
| "But you have to do it." | | | | believe in yourself if you want to do something you do |
| "I am not doing it." | | | | not want to. I am asked every day to do things outside |
| "Do it anyways!" | | | | of my comfort zone so I have been forced to get |
| "Fine!" | | | | over my fear of making a fool of myself. It surfaces |
| I know it sounds simple and too easy, but sometimes | | | | every once and a while, but with some persistence |
| you just have to say, "I am doing this. Maybe it is going | | | | and courage, I have learned how to take control of it. |
| to be awful, but I am just going to do it anyways." For | | | | Believe in yourself and take it one step at a time. You |
| me, the more I did this, the easier I found it to do it in | | | | will be making a fool of... I mean... you will be |
| the future. | | | | overcoming the idea of making a fool of yourself in no |
| Unfortunately, this approach does not work for | | | | time! |