๐ ๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐ก๐๐ฆ๐ง ๐ช๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฆ – ๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ก ๐ง๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐ก๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ก๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ก๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฌ….
Over the last year, I’ve really, really been pushing my anxiety and, more often than not, winning the battle!!
Going abroad for the first time in years, speaking twice at two different Rotary Clubs, going on a podcast and more.
I feel being on a panel is the next test, and it’s next week ๐ณ
There are sooo many pros and cons to it….
๐ฃ๐๐ฃ๐ฃ๐‘๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฃ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฅ๐ง….
๐ฃ๐ฅ๐ข – The only reason I even considered and agreed to be on the panel is that I know Pippa, she knows me, we’ve discussed my anxiety, and she’s happy for me to step away from the panel if, on the day, I really, really struggle, which is incredible support and exactly the support I needed.
๐๐ข๐ก – Even though Pippa is happy with the above, I still don’t want to let her down, and I want to repay her faith.
I know she’ll be fine and supportive either way, it’s just me really not wanting to let her down.
๐ ๐๐ข๐ง ๐ข๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ข๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ช ๐๐ก ๐ง๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ข๐ ….
๐ฃ๐ฅ๐ข – It means I’m not talking to a room of strangers, I’ll see a lot of people I know and who support me, which hopefully makes me more comfortable and helps.
๐๐ข๐ก – If I do struggle, or have an anxiety attack, I prefer to have it in front of strangers, because you don’t see these people often or even at all ever again, and it won’t matter if they’ve seen me have the anxiety attack.
I’ll have a lot of close connections and friends in the room, and the thought of them seeing me panic, struggle, and have an anxiety attack isn’t nice. I don’t want them to see me like that, I don’t want my close circle and networking circle seeing and discussing me struggling or panicking in the future.
With strangers, you won’t see them again, so it doesn’t matter.
๐ง๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ก….
๐ฃ๐ฅ๐ข – I won’t be on my own with all the focus on me, when others are talking, the focus will be away from me, and I’ll have a minute to try and relax.
๐๐ข๐ก – From experience, I know that I struggle more with panel or round table discussions than actually just speaking by myself.
This is because although all the focus is on me and I’m there on my own, it’s only me, and I’m focused completely on speaking and answering questions, you don’t have time to think about anxiety or panicking.
With panel or round table discussions, when others are talking, my brain has time to start overthinking and moving away from the discussion. This is the most dangerous part for me, once I have time to overthink, stress and my anxiety get worse, the triggers start coming in, it’s hard to stop or reverse when it reaches this level, and it quickly spirals.
BUT, I’m going to do everything I can to keep myself in the discussion and away from overthinking and letting the anxiety build.
๐ฃ๐๐ข๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐ซ๐๐๐ง๐ฌ & ๐๐ก๐ซ๐๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ง๐๐๐ ๐๐ก ๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ข๐ก….
๐ฃ๐ฅ๐ข – With it being International Men’s Day, about mental health and with a room full of people, I do think it will be quite powerful for them to see anxiety and my anxiety in action and in person.
How it affects me, how I’m feeling, what they can see, the red face, sweating, fast speech, nervous, shaking, etc
If I do have an anxiety attack during the panel discussion, again, people can see it happen and what it looks like, which will bring more awareness to it.
As I’m so open about my anxiety, people are more than welcome to ask questions around it, how I feel, how I manage, how I try to improve, etc
๐๐ข๐ก – Obviously, struggling in a room full of people when you’re on a panel will feel absolutely horrendous in the moment, and I really hope it doesn’t happen, even more so because it’s in front of a lot of people, and a lot of them I know.
I’m happy to feel anxious, however, I really hope I don’t start to really struggle and possibly have an anxiety attack.
๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐ง๐๐ข๐จ๐๐๐ง๐ฆ….
I really hope I don’t have an anxiety attack during the event and that I can take part in the panel discussion without struggling too much.
I also hope at least one person at the event either learns something or feels it’s helped them in some way.
๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐‘๐ฑ ๐น๐ถ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ, ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป๐ณ๐ผ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/international-mens-day-2026-tickets-1987254373326
#IMDABC2026
Click here to read my previous anxiety posts.
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