𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗹𝘆: 𝗘𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗵𝘆𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗩𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 🪻

Shyness is often misunderstood. It’s not just about being quiet; it’s a mix of feeling self-conscious, nervous, and sometimes overwhelmed in social situations. It’s not the same as being introverted, though they can overlap. While introverts may prefer solitude, shy people often want to engage but struggle to do so comfortably. Since I was a child, I’ve been told that I speak too softly. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to be heard—I just wasn’t sure how to be. Speaking in front of others felt like standing under a spotlight with no script. I hesitated, second-guessed myself, and sometimes let opportunities slip by. Over time, I realized that 𝘀𝗵𝘆𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 “𝗳𝗶𝘅.” 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱, 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗻𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲. I’ve found ways to express myself, even if it’s in quieter ways—through writing, art, and now, this blog. Being shy can be frustrating. It can hold you back from participating in conversations, making friends, or even standing up for yourself. People might assume you’re uninterested or unfriendly when, in reality, you’re just trying to gather the courage to speak. One of the hardest things about shyness is how others perceive it. It’s often mistaken for rudeness, lack of confidence, or even a weakness. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲—𝗶𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆. Shyness may not disappear overnight, but here are some things that have helped me: - 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀. If social situations make you anxious, start with little challenges. Speak up once in a group conversation, introduce yourself to someone new, or even practice talking to yourself in the mirror. - 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲. Not all communication has to be verbal. Writing, art, and even body language can help express what you feel. - 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀. Instead of thinking, “What if I embarrass myself?” try, “What if this conversation goes well?” Changing your mindset makes a huge difference. - 𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲. You don’t have to be the loudest person in the room to be heard. The world needs soft voices, too. 𝗦𝗵𝘆𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝘄—𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿, 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵. It allows you to be a good listener, observe details others might miss, and connect with people on a deeper level. I hope that, through this blog, I can share my experiences and remind you that having a quiet voice doesn’t mean you don’t have important things to say. If you relate to anything I’ve shared today, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Until next time, take care of yourself and remember to drink water! 🌱

PrevNext