To worry that I'm going to be fired for being too shy?

[ohnoohnonono]

I am really shy, and at work I really struggle during meetings. I get anxious for hours before meetings where I know I'm going to have to speak and I over-prepare for them. In the meetings I stay silent unless I'm directly addressed, I guess I believe my thoughts and opinions don't matter.

I've noticed a senior manager has started to address lots of to me, but they have a sense of humor I find difficult to understand to which means I give really awkward answers and don't really understand how I'm supposed to respond.

I'm worried that they are going to talk to my line manager about it and I'm going to get disciplined or fired for being too shy.

My colleagues are all around my age (mid-to-late 20s) and they all get on really well, they're a really sociable group and I struggle to fit in with them and feel like a complete outsider. I've seen new staff join recently who have just fitted in with them straight away

@shoesaregood Thank you for the kind words and helpful advice :)

I remember that feeling only too well. For me, it wasn’t that I thought my opinions didn’t matter, it was the fear that they would hate them, mock me etc so I signed up for a communications course where I had to go through my worst nightmares and do presentations. It worked, I now realise that it was an element of my anxiety along with a natural shyness, I have no issues now. Good luck op, please remember your opinions do matter and I agree with pp’s, your management want to hear them because they value what you have to contribute.