I think my biggest breakthrough came when I realised nobody else that mattered cared much about what was going on with me.
Not in a harsh way, just that they were too focused on their own issues to be judging me.
Nobody is paying that much attention to you, nobody is judging your merit by the way you look and by the way you speak, most people couldn’t give a damn what you’re like unless you’re entering into some huge relationship with them.
The fact of the matter is that you are much much harsher on yourself than anybody ever will be.
The simple fact of the matter is that nobody cares that much about you, especially not the bartender or the takeaway delivery bloke.
If you keep in mind the fact that everyone is starring in their own movie, it gives you some perspective that people matter the most to themselves.
They are the only ones judging their actions so harshly and the same goes for you.
The only people who matter that strongly to anyone is themselves, and nobody cares that you stuttered or that said something weird in that interaction.
The fact is they are probably so focused on their own performance that they didn’t even realize you stuttered.
You are your own worst enemy and you are your own worst critic, and anything that happens that feels weird or awkward is only escalated in your own head.
Chances are it didn’t even matter.
The best way to combat this is to accept your worst fears about everything.
If you accept that the absolute worst thing happened and get comfortable with any notion, you’ll find that most of the time your interactions are actually pretty good.
My advice, just try not to give your own inner voice more credence than it deserves.
This is especially true for anyone with anxiety.
Most of the time it doesn’t matter. We should all try to remember that.