Dr. Julie Smith

Academically and things like that, I guess I was always quite hard on myself and that highly self-critical stuff was probably quite there when I was younger. But I had to say, there's no way I can do this and be this vulnerable. if I'm going to speak to myself like that, just not a chance. So I had to be fully committed to being in my own head, being like a coach.

So someone who would have the absolute, my best interests at heart the whole time, not speak to me like I was, you know, a piece of shit and treat myself in a way that, you know, a coach would treat an elite athlete to say, you know, when you're down, this is how we get back up and we move forward.

So someone who would have the absolute, my best interests at heart the whole time, not speak to me like I was, you know, a piece of shit and treat myself in a way that, you know, a coach would treat an elite athlete to say, you know, when you're down, this is how we get back up and we move forward.

So someone who would have the absolute, my best interests at heart the whole time, not speak to me like I was, you know, a piece of shit and treat myself in a way that, you know, a coach would treat an elite athlete to say, you know, when you're down, this is how we get back up and we move forward.

Yeah. Well, I guess there's two things here. One is that you take your time. You don't start with the scariest thing. Any type of fear that you're tackling, what we would do in therapy is we create a scale. So we would list all the things, all the different situations that are scary with the least scary at the bottom.

Yeah. Well, I guess there's two things here. One is that you take your time. You don't start with the scariest thing. Any type of fear that you're tackling, what we would do in therapy is we create a scale. So we would list all the things, all the different situations that are scary with the least scary at the bottom.

Yeah. Well, I guess there's two things here. One is that you take your time. You don't start with the scariest thing. Any type of fear that you're tackling, what we would do in therapy is we create a scale. So we would list all the things, all the different situations that are scary with the least scary at the bottom.

So maybe if it's a social anxiety thing, maybe the idea of saying hello to that person at the local store when I pick up my paper or whatever fills me with anxiety. But I know I could do it if I really tried. that would go at the bottom. And there may be a sort of 100% worst case scenario is I've got to speak at a friend's wedding or something like that.

So maybe if it's a social anxiety thing, maybe the idea of saying hello to that person at the local store when I pick up my paper or whatever fills me with anxiety. But I know I could do it if I really tried. that would go at the bottom. And there may be a sort of 100% worst case scenario is I've got to speak at a friend's wedding or something like that.

So maybe if it's a social anxiety thing, maybe the idea of saying hello to that person at the local store when I pick up my paper or whatever fills me with anxiety. But I know I could do it if I really tried. that would go at the bottom. And there may be a sort of 100% worst case scenario is I've got to speak at a friend's wedding or something like that.

And there's loads of scenarios in between that are all slightly tweaked and slightly different that you might think are more or less scary. And you don't start at the top, you start at the bottom. So you start with a thing that feels kind of manageable, but a challenge. And you repeat it as much as you possibly can. Because

And there's loads of scenarios in between that are all slightly tweaked and slightly different that you might think are more or less scary. And you don't start at the top, you start at the bottom. So you start with a thing that feels kind of manageable, but a challenge. And you repeat it as much as you possibly can. Because

And there's loads of scenarios in between that are all slightly tweaked and slightly different that you might think are more or less scary. And you don't start at the top, you start at the bottom. So you start with a thing that feels kind of manageable, but a challenge. And you repeat it as much as you possibly can. Because

What you do is everything that's new and novel, you will get this hike in your stress response. So your brain is saying, we're not sure about this. Anything could happen. So we're going to increase your level of alertness so that you're ready for anything. And that's really what it is. That's what's happening. You're getting that level of alertness so that you can cope with it.

What you do is everything that's new and novel, you will get this hike in your stress response. So your brain is saying, we're not sure about this. Anything could happen. So we're going to increase your level of alertness so that you're ready for anything. And that's really what it is. That's what's happening. You're getting that level of alertness so that you can cope with it.

What you do is everything that's new and novel, you will get this hike in your stress response. So your brain is saying, we're not sure about this. Anything could happen. So we're going to increase your level of alertness so that you're ready for anything. And that's really what it is. That's what's happening. You're getting that level of alertness so that you can cope with it.

But you experience that as stress, so it's uncomfortable. And so if you're tackling those scenarios... What we often get people to do when they're in it is focus on that idea that your attention is a spotlight and you have control of that.

But you experience that as stress, so it's uncomfortable. And so if you're tackling those scenarios... What we often get people to do when they're in it is focus on that idea that your attention is a spotlight and you have control of that.

But you experience that as stress, so it's uncomfortable. And so if you're tackling those scenarios... What we often get people to do when they're in it is focus on that idea that your attention is a spotlight and you have control of that.

So when you're socially anxious, your focus will be inward. It will be on how are other people perceiving me? Am I standing funny? Am I fidgeting? Am I saying stuff wrong? How am I coming across? And it will be all this kind of inner turmoil stuff that just keeps triggering more and more anxiety. Whereas someone who's confident and not socially anxious will not be focused inwards on themselves.