04/03/2026
Social anxiety isn’t just “being shy.”
It can look like replaying every word you said after a conversation.
It can look like your heart racing when it’s your turn to speak.
It can look like avoiding eye contact, skipping events, or pretending to check your phone so you don’t have to talk.
And from the outside?
It often just looks like someone being “quiet.”
Social anxiety is loud on the inside. It’s the constant scanning, the self-monitoring, the “Did I say that wrong?” spiral that keeps going long after the moment has passed.
If any of this feels familiar, there’s nothing wrong with you. Your nervous system is trying (a little too hard) to protect you.
The good news?
You can learn to stay in the conversation.
You can practice letting the silence be there.
You can build tolerance for the discomfort instead of letting it run the show.
Progress doesn’t mean never feeling anxious.
It means showing up anyway. ❤️
Kinza Saleem
Clinical Psychologist
