Blogging Against Social Anxiety

I renewed my gym membership last week after a 5 or 6 month break from regular exercise. And I have to say it feels great. I’ve only done two sessions so far, and both times my entire body was aching the next day. But both times I came out feeling refreshed, and a lot less anxious about life in general. I know my body is going to ache for a couple of weeks yet, but it is going to get easier and easier. As long as I commit myself to going in three days a week — even when I don’t feel like it — I know there is no way I can’t make progress. I’ve done it before and I can do it again. In some ways I think this is a good metaphor for overcoming social anxiety.
A little over a year ago, I was going to a public speaking class every week, I was pushing myself to attend events that would require me to mingle, and I was making an effort to get to know more people in the office. I was starting to feel the most confident I had in years. And then what happened? I got lazy and complacent. I was busy at work. I had a new girlfriend. And I stopped making the effort to do a lot of these things. And then, little by little, my social muscles started to shrink back to their original size, and a lot of the progress I had made disappeared. All the old anxiety came flooding back. But just like going to the gym, I know that if I start genuinely making an effort again, while there will be ups and downs, there is NO WAY I cannot make at least some sort of progress. I’ve done it before and I can do it again. This time I’m not going to let up.