PSA: I realized my 'happy face' at my cousin's wedding in Dallas was just me hiding from a huge fight I didn't want to have...

4 comments

4 Comments

My therapist in Austin taught me to check in with my body before social events. I started asking myself if I was actually okay or just pretending. That small pause helped me stop faking it so much.

ruby_henderson362mo ago

Oh that's such a good trick. I need to try that, I'm so bad at just powering through when I'm not okay.

amy_anderson2mo ago

Honestly that pause can sometimes make things feel worse for me. It gives the anxiety more room to grow before I even get out the door. Sometimes just going through the motions is what gets you to the other side.

evakelly1mo ago

Yeah that pause thing can backfire so hard. My friend tried it before a party last month and said she basically spent twenty minutes spiraling about what to wear and what to say. She ended up just putting on her shoes and walking out the door while her brain was still yelling. Said the act of moving her body shut the noise up faster than sitting there thinking ever did.