My partner has kindly invited me out with him and his colleagues, they’re already there and I said I would go about 5.
I feel pathetic but I’m really nervous about it, as I’m shy and get social anxiety. I don’t understand why I’m still shy at 30, I’m older than the majority of this group too.
Including my partner there will be around 4 or 5 of them there.
First of all I hate having to walk into a place when everybody is already there as I hate all eyes on me, and I don’t know what conversation to make apart from the generic small talk. They all seem very witty, extroverted and I just feel like they’ll be looking at me and inside thinking I look nervous etc then talking about me behind my back later.
I’ve met up with people before in groups and then behind my back they’ve said I was nervous, shy etc. I just hate being watched and commented on, and hate how shy people have to stick out like a sore thumb.
Any advice? I’d like to go as my partner and I are both working all week now, but I feel so nervous.