How to survive Christmas parties when you have social anxiety

Are you dreading your office Christmas party? Many people love them, a chance to drink, be merry, make new friends, build relationships and eat a lot of lovely food with your colleagues. Others HATE them with a vengeance! You might struggle with social anxiety at this time of year because of the pressure to socialise. You may feel you have no choice but to go, but in order to relax, you have a few more drinks. You then notice you care a bit less, as your inhibitions fade. BUT the next morning comes - in a haze of terror, shame and guilt. What did you SAY? Did you offend someone? Did you spoil your chance of a new opportunity or promotion? The hangover is not worth it. What can you do?

First of all, you CAN say no. You don't have to go. Or you could try a few deep breathing exercises and remind yourself that you COULD go. Can you go for just the meal rather than the pre-dinner drinks? Can you ensure you are sitting next to a person you get on with well, someone you feel "safe" with? If you start to feel uncomfortable and overwhelmed, could you grab a 5 minute reset - pop to the loo or step outside and just do some deep breathing, or run your wrist under the cold tap! This can be surprisingly effective. You could repeat "I am safe, I am safe" a few times. This can be helpful and is better than another glass of wine if you are worried about saying or doing something you might regret the next day. Another very helpful tool to get "outside of your head" is to ask questions! If you don't like talking about yourself or you hate silences, just ask the person you are sitting next to some questions about themselves, their role, what they enjoy, what they do in their spare time etc. People LOVE to talk about themselves and it takes the heat off you. If you feel that some help is needed, reach out to me. I can help you build your confidence, find inner calm and a way forward when social anxiety threatens to ruin your Christmas.