Anxious 2 year old

[Tabycat]

I was just looking for any advice or experience regarding my (just) 2 year olds behaviour. She has always been extremely clingy with me and is very shy but recently it has got to the point where trying to do anything with her is a struggle. She is happy and confident with people she knows well, after a long settling in period loves it at nursery and is fine going to places like shops or playgrounds she has been before BUT anything new...faces or places she has a complete meltdown and cries and cries until either they go away or she leaves....this includes any new place she hasn't been before like a bank/shop/swimming pool/someone's house/doctors.
Also small groups of people at our house or at others will send her int a frenzy.
It's so exhausting and really getting me down as I just want her to enjoy life and not always be so anxious.
Is this something she will just grow out of? I don't know what to do to stop her getting so scared or upset?

I was like this myself when I was young, in nursery up until about the age of 5 I would cry and cry every time I got left at school and was extremely shy, I grew out of itbut I dont know any way of speeding this up x

My nearly three year old has had a stage like this. She seems to be coming out of it now. We just went with it and didn't force her into situations she hated - gave up going to one playgroup as it was such an ordeal every week. Lots of praise when she copes with things she is afraid of, like dogs or going to docs or swimming, and we made a really big deal over her when she agreed to get hair washed - got nursery involved who encouraged her and gave her a medal! That seems to have boosted her confidence in general and she is a bit more relaxed in other situations now too. I think the best thing to do is just accept that she is anxious and tell her it is ok to feel shy or afraid, and that as she gets older she won't feel as frightened. Avoid things that send her over the edge but don't become hermits and make her feel great when she is brave!

Thanks for your comments. I do try the encouragement part and will keep doing that. Do you think with swimming for example I should just give up for now trying to take her? I know she really loves it when she gets in as we went a lot on holiday once she was used to it all..it's really the busy changing rooms with hair dryers going that is the obstacles to get past! I was going to keep trying in the hope she would get used to it but maybe I should just give up until she's ready?

My DD was like this with some situations. I was advised to let her choose her activities and stop making her do things I wanted to. Is her speech good so that she could tell you what she enjoys? Otherwise I would just go with her cues.

Yes her speech is good. When I tell her or she realises she is going swimming she shouts "want to go home" over and over again. I have only been persevering because I know she does actually like it when she gets in. Maybe I should stop though? I guess you're right that I should stop forcing her to do things she doesn't want to and hope in time she will get more confidence.

That's great that your girl enjoys the water when she is in, that can be very daunting. How about taking her swimming at a quieter time? We find our daughter copes better if we take her first thing on a Sunday when there is hardly anyone else there. If she is one of the first in the pool then she feels more at home. Or can u maybe go to a local hotel's pool? Definitely seems like a good thing to keep going if she enjoys the swimming part.