Social anxiety or just terribly British?

[OverTheHammer]

To set the scene - I was at the gym this morning and lucky enough to have the outdoor pool all to myself. I'd planned to get out at 11.50am.

At 11.45 a bloke with little kids got in, the kids were obviously playing and splashing around - he told them to "mind the lady swimming" (meaning me) and apologised to me. I laughed and told him not to worry about it. The kids got more rowdy as they warmed up - the bloke said to me "I'm so sorry, I feel like we've totally destroyed your peace!" To which I said "not at all! Don't worry!".

The clock then moved to 11.50am and I became terribly anxious that I wanted to get out as planned, but didn't want him to think I was getting out because of the kids!! So I stayed in much longer than I'd planned to but was exhausted so wasn't even swimming properly - I then became anxious that I was probably looking a bit weird just loitering in the pool 😂

Why didn't I just get out at 11.50 as planned? You hear the phrase "terribly British" all the time to describe people that are ridiculously polite to an almost awkward level ... what do you reckon? Is this me or is this a symptom of my social anxiety?

I'm the same
Bit of both for me I think! I would hate to offend anyone and I'm anxious!

Bless you, that sounds like the kind of thing I used to do all the time. Now, I think I'd finish when I planned, and if we was in earshot say something like, phew, that's me done, and get out. But a few years ago, no way!

We was?? I was!

I think social anxiety is terribly British :-D

YABVU. Genuine sufferers of social anxiety would be very upset to hear you describing a trivial situation like that as somehow related to a debilitating condition.

I'm British, I don't have social anxiety and I would of just got out as planned😂 Iv never heard that phrase before

Sounds like the OP is a sufferer of social anxiety. And it wasn't a trivial situation for her, hence the angst.

This has made me laugh because it's something I would do, or I'd give myself a talking to, run out the pool avoiding eye contact and then beat myself up allllll day over how I handled it.

And to the pp who says this isn't social anxiety, yes it is, there are just different levels of anxiety

Bit of both! I've always been anxious and would do weird things like not uncross my legs because the person sitting next to me has just uncrossed theirs and I didn't want to look like I was "copying them". Even if my leg was going to sleep

Hedgehog, I DO have social anxiety! Don't be so quick to look for offence.

MineKraft, that's me too! example today, I was on treadmill and just about to grab a drink of my water. Unfortunately the woman next to me grabbed hers and had a swig at that moment so that was it, I had to wait in case she thought I was copying! I was gasping 😂

Terribly British

I would've done exactly the same thing. Glad I'm not alone!

Mine is hugging. I'm really not fond of the Goodbye Gauntlet when you leave somewhere, it makes me feel really quite uncomfortable to hug some people.

BUT, I'd far rather put myself through the ordeal of hugging, than be thought rude and awkward for leaving suddenly, or saying, "I prefer not to hug, thanks."

That's terribly British I think. I'd have done exactly the same though!