I care too much about how people perceive me.

I feel small compared to others, and I’m anxious around other people.

I’m scared I’m going to say something stupid, which will make others perceive me worse.

I feel that if I stay more quiet, I won’t say something stupid.

I’m always thinking about my posture, tone, and eye contact around people.

I always feel like everyone is watching me, waiting for me to mess up.

I feel like the spotlight is on me all the time when I’m out in public and it stresses me out.

I feel that people can feel my anxiety.

I want to be more confident and think less about how I think other people think of me, but I don’t know how to turn it off.

Why do I care about all this? Why does all of this matter to me so much? Why can’t I just be comfortable with myself and not worry about how others perceive me?