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Stepping Out Of My Comfort Zone

My Goal

For the past couple of years, one of my biggest goals has been to to step out of my comfort zone and increase my socialization.  Though with social anxiety, I knew it would be a challenge.

After moving out of my hometown last year, I joined the app MeetUp, where you can join different groups and meet up with group members during many different events.  Joining the app was the first step toward my goal, but I didn’t actually build up the courage to go to any events until this year.

Going to Events

One of the groups I joined was for folks in their 20’s and 30’s since I wanted to try to connect with people close in age with me.  The first event I went to with this group was at a brewery.  I didn’t drink, but meeting the other group members and chatting with them was very fun.  The high anxiety I had going in decreased as time went on, as did my social battery.  So after a couple of hours, I bid everyone a farewell and headed home.  I was extremely proud of myself for finally stepping out of my comfort zone despite the anxiety which has been a rock in the road for far too long.

More recently I went to another gathering with the same group, this time at a small bar.  I initially wasn’t going to attend this event since the space is small which means I’d feel quite claustrophobic if there were a lot of people.  Plus, a rule in the group was we had to purchase something since it was a small business.  I am all in on supporting small businesses; my hesitation was about not wanting to drink in public.  I ended up changing my mind, because interacting with people was more important to me.

At this event, I met new people who weren’t at the previous event I attended, and saw some familiar faces.  I tend to be on the quiet side in social settings, especially if it’s new, which was the case here.  Vibing with folks was very enjoyable, and as I opened up more, conversations were nice too.  Some of us also played Cards Against Humanity, which was very fun.  Afterward, some of us went to a Chinese restaurant and then an ice cream shop.

Conclusion

When all was said and done, I was completely drained when I got home.  Regardless, I still enjoyed the day and once again was proud of myself for going to another event.  I am very much looking forward to going to more events in the (hopefully near) future!

Check out my ➡️ previous blog post ⬅️ where I wrote about driving on the highway for the first time.

-T