Image Source: Unsplash Moving can be exciting and feel like a great adventure, but it can also cause a lot of stress and uncertainty. That’s especially true if you’re leaving behind strong friendships and social connections. If you’re feeling anxious about an upcoming move or you recently moved to a new location and [...]
"Leon Fleisher, regarded as one of the great classical pianists of the twentieth century, told the coauthor of his 2010 memoir that his 'greatest wish' was to be able to improvise. But despite a lifetime of masterful interpretation of notes on the page, he said, 'I can't improvise at all.' " — David Epstein, Range: Why [...]
What is social anxiety? In my book, The Quiet Rise of Introverts, I define social anxiety as the fear of social or performance situations where embarrassment, judgment, criticism or rejection are perceived dangers. Somewhere along the line, as someone with social anxiety, we learned that we do not fare well under scrutiny. We fall short in [...]
"If we just try hard enough we can avoid all these situations that make us feel so vulnerable." — Caroline McGraw How many of us can relate to the above statement? I know I can. For the longest time, I thought if I do everything just right, no one will call me out or criticize me. [...]
Photo by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash I've written about the flushed cheeks and blank mind I experience when suddenly finding myself the center of attention or when called upon to speak extemporaneously among non-friends. Many writers and introverted people seem to experience this freeze of words, awkward physical movement and self-consciousness while being observed. [...]
I got back out on the trails for a run the other day after a long winter hiatus. After my oh-so-slow performance, I've decided I have to stop saying "I'm going for a run" and change it to "I'm going for a jog." My first jog this year happened with my 14-year-old daughter. She recently joined the [...]
