Wellness Wednesday Issue #81

💄Beauty: Everything you need to know about microblading your eyebrows.

🥳 Tech: Apple’s new ai features will let you make custom emojis.

🧠 Psychology: Explore the Enneagram personality test.

💬 Communication: Enhance your interactions with these deep conversation starters.

💰Finances: A step-by-step guide to getting out of debt.

Social anxiety is a feeling many of us encounter. It can turn simple interactions into overwhelming experiences and often occurs in situations where we feel observed or judged.

While commonly stemming from a lack of self-esteem or confidence, these feelings are manageable with the right approaches.

Here’s how you can handle social anxiety in your everyday life and boost your self-confidence.

Understanding Social Anxiety

Social anxiety isn’t limited to those with a clinical diagnosis; it’s a spectrum that affects people differently. From feeling jittery at a party to hesitating to speak up during meetings, these experiences are common.

Often, social anxiety arises from an underlying lack of confidence and a pervasive sense that others are judging us.

However, the reality is that most people are also feeling some level of discomfort and are more focused on their own experiences than on judging others.

Techniques to Manage and Reduce Social Anxiety

1. Cognitive Behavioral Techniques: Cognitive Behavioral Techniques (CBT) involve recognizing and challenging negative thought patterns to change behavior over time.

Simple practices like questioning the evidence behind your fears or testing out the reality of negative predictions can gradually help build confidence and reduce anxiety.

2. Gradual Exposure: Begin by exposing yourself to mildly anxiety-provoking situations and gradually work your way up to more challenging ones. This could be as simple as initiating small talk with a colleague or attending a social event.

The key is gradual exposure to manage feelings without becoming overwhelmed, thereby building confidence through successful interactions.

3. Mindfulness and Relaxation: Mindfulness helps bring your attention to the present, reducing the impact of anxiety about future events.

Techniques like deep breathing, meditation, or yoga can help calm the mind and control the physical symptoms of anxiety, such as a racing heart or trembling hands.

4. Lifestyle Adjustments: Incorporating regular physical exercise into your routine can significantly decrease anxiety levels.

Likewise, ensuring you get enough sleep and maintaining a balanced diet can help stabilize your mood and improve your overall well-being.

5. Developing Social Skills: Improving social skills such as maintaining eye contact, listening actively, or joining a public speaking class can significantly boost confidence in social settings.

Practicing these skills reduces anxiety by making social interactions more predictable and less daunting.

6. Use of Support Networks: Sharing your feelings with trusted friends or family can provide comfort and reassurance.

Support groups are also beneficial as they allow you to share and learn in a setting with others who have similar experiences, reinforcing the idea that you are not alone in your feelings.

7. Set Realistic Expectations: Remind yourself that perfection isn’t the goal in social interactions. Most people are understanding and less judgmental than we anticipate.

By setting realistic expectations, you reduce the pressure you put on yourself, thereby easing anxiety.

Social anxiety is something many of us will experience at different points in our lives. By adopting these techniques, you can begin to manage anxiety effectively and increase your comfort in social situations.

Remember, progress is incremental, and each small step is a victory in improving your social confidence and reducing anxiety.

Ever have those days where you look in the mirror and just feel…meh? We’ve all been there.

These feelings can make you want to stay in your pajamas all day, but that will only drag your confidence down even further.

Turns out that dressing up, even if it’s just to stroll from your bedroom to your home office, can work wonders for your confidence.

Ugh, but doing that every day sounds like so much effort.

That’s where Armoire comes in — a woman-founded clothing rental service, can help you stay stylish without the hassle.

What we’re loving about it:

• Personalized Style Quiz: Quick and gets to know your style better each time.
• Curated Collections: Simplifies choice overload with office essentials and top member picks.
• Flexible and Cost-Effective: Enjoy new looks all the time, with easy swaps and the option to buy favorites at a discount. Choose from three monthly plans starting at $89/mo.

⭐ Use code THEASSIST for up to 50% off your first month.

👀 Available pieces we suggest snagging:

• Hot pink satin skirt: add a pop of color into your wardrobe with this eye catcher.
• Navy white striped sweater: a classic look that you can dress for any occassion.
• Red jumpsuit: bring the heat to any room with this jumpsuit.
• Moto Jacket: complete your look with this staple moto jacket.
• Maxi Dress: the perfect dress to throw on for any outdoor event or a girls brunch.

Take the Style Quiz to find your perfect fit.

Whether you’re an individual contributor on the team or a boss at the top, you’re likely to face a public speaking scenario.

I’ve done my fair share of public speaking — from giving a presentation in front of the entire leadership team and hundreds of people from sales, to giving a maid of honor speech at my best friend’s wedding.

And while I enjoy the feeling of being on stage (I was in two bands after all), it doesn’t mean that I don’t feel all the usual jitters beforehand.

Here are 7 things I do to get over the stage fright:

1. Prep Until It’s Muscle Memory

Preparation is key. Aim to know your material so well that you can deliver it smoothly, even if you’re feeling nervous.

I like to script my entire presentation, marking pauses, tone, and inflection, ensuring every detail is intentional.

Even better — find someone you can practice in front of to get their feedback.

2. Start Strong

Your opening sets the tone and energy for the entire presentation. Begin with a powerful story, an interesting fact, or a question that grabs attention.

A strong start will help engage your audience and give you a boost of confidence.

3. Engage with Your Audience

Interacting with your audience can make your presentation more dynamic and less daunting. Make eye contact, ask questions, and encourage participation.

This creates a connection and makes the experience more interactive.

4. Act the Part

Acting classes helped me overcome my childhood shyness by teaching me to step into a character’s shoes, and one effective strategy I’ve found is to imagine you’re playing a role rather than being yourself.

When you speak, think of yourself as an actor portraying a confident and articulate speaker. Sometimes all it takes is a mindset shift to transform your approach and ease your nerves.

5. Use Breathing Techniques

When I was writing my wedding vows, I was nervous that I’d be a blubbering mess when it finally came time to say them out loud. A good friend of mine advised me to take pauses and breaths at any point if I started to feel like I was about to cry — and it worked.

Deep breathing can help calm your nerves. Before you begin, take a few deep breaths to center yourself.

During your presentation, don’t be afraid to pause and take a breath if you need to collect your thoughts or if your nerves start to feel out of control.

6. Embrace the Nerves

It’s natural to feel nervous, and even experienced speakers get the jitters.

Instead of trying to eliminate your anxiety, embrace it. Use that nervous energy to fuel your performance and keep you alert.

7. Focus on the Message

Shift your focus from yourself to the message you’re delivering. Remember, you’re there to share valuable information or a meaningful story. Concentrating on the purpose of your speech can help you feel more at ease.

Remember, public speaking is a skill that improves with practice. So don’t avoid it — take the opportunities to speak up so that you can grow more confident each time.

Joanna (Co-founder of TA)

Keeping your workforce happy and healthy improves morale, increases productivity and heightens employee satisfaction.

That’s why SimpaloSnacks has made it their mission to supply healthy, yummy snacks to businesses all over the country.

And right now — they’d like to help YOU.

Choose from an exciting variety of snacks including well-known favorites and new and unique options you wish you would’ve known about sooner.

With Simpalo you’ll get unmatched customization options, personal branding, great pricing and FAST delivery.

You’ll also save time and money by not running to stores grabbing boring unhealthy snacks.

Placing your order is easy and stress-free.

Head over to SimpaloSnacks right now and customize your own box.

Spice up your life with this enchiladas recipe.

Have a recipe you love? Share your recipe here.

👖 Colorfulkoala Workout Leggings are popular for their affordability and quality— and they come in over 30 color and pattern options.

🌞 Create shaded areas in your outdoor space with these UV protection Sun Shade Sails.

📘 The book Why Simple Wins explores how simplicity can drive success and reduce complexity in business and life.

🍳 The Always Pan 2.0 is a versatile and stylish addition to your kitchen, perfect for all your cooking needs.

• ATR International is hiring for a Research Engineer (New York, NY/Hybrid).
• Provisions Group is hiring for a Senior Software Engineer (Frisco, TX).
• Säzän Group Inc. is hiring for a Regional Marketing Manager (Seattle, WA).
• Newparts, Inc. is hiring for a Brand and Social Media Manager – Automotive (Nashville, TN/Hybrid).
• DSJ Global is hiring for a Global Category Manager – Electromechanical (Georgia, US/Hybrid).