I’m a self confessed introvert and proud! I gain energy from my own time and space and know when I start flagging and need to recharge.

I worry that I can come across as socially awkward as I find big groups difficult to navigate, particularly when finding a gap in the conversation is not easy and people are talking over each other and once I’ve thought of something to contribute that topic has long gone! I’m also rubbish when it comes to large chat groups on WhatsApp, I just forget to reply because I do not have the patience to read through 50 messages.

I prefer being part of a small group or seeing people on a one to one basis as I wouldn’t say I have one core group of friends. I have picked up a random mix of friends in the last 10 years which is great.

My favourite things to do include when seeing friends is catching up over a coffee, going for a walk or seeing something planned such as a theatre show or an exhibition. I must say I like my events to have a bit of structure. I’m not one for not knowing the time to meet or uncertainty about how I can get home!

As much as a try my best to socialise there have been a few occasions in the last year where I have felt really panicky and wanted to go home because I just felt overwhelming pressure to mingle with everyone and be on form when all I wanted was to go home and go to bed. This has included a karaoke birthday event and a random dinner organised three hours before the specified meeting time. However I know that in order to not continue to feel anxious about these situations you have to experience them to see they are not as bad as you think they will be.

Now that I am approaching my 30s I know that I do not have to say yes to everything if I know it will take up too much energy. My real friends will not stop inviting me just because I might say that I need a night in after a busy week at work. It doesn’t make me lonely or boring. Plus having a pet is great because if for whatever reason I am finding it hard to get away i can just say that I need to get back to make sure she is ok. Although I need to realise I do not necessarily need a reason for leaving when I choose. I just need to have more confidence when I say it!

I posted a picture on Instsgram with a short caption about how the run up to Christmas makes me feel. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a scrooge by any means. I love decorations, lights and festive treats but I don’t enjoy the pressure of having to feel festive.

This really came about last year when a lot of work travel in the run up to Christmas not only meant I missed a lot of activities but it also knocked me out with an awful cough/cold and I spent a lot of the time in bed.

I spend a lot of Christmas Day worrying that people are not having a good time because things have gone quiet or they do not really like the gifts I’ve got them that it really stresses me out or the fact my mum can’t sit still whilst the dinner is cooking. It can feel a bit overwhelming. I also have a tendency to want to dress up on Christmas Day which can leave me feeling uncomfortable by the end.

I am really trying my best to not get caught up in these negative feelings this year. I haven’t gone overboard with gifts and after a few health scares in my family this year I’m just grateful to spend time with people.

I got the majority of my shopping done in November so I haven’t had to think about facing the crowds and any top ups can be done online!

I have a couple of events booked in but to be honest am looking forward to taking it easy and actually using the time off to give myself a break without worrying whether or not it feels festive because everyone has a different version of what this means. So this christmas day you will be able to find me chilling out in my leggings and a cosy jumper after a well deserved life in.

10 year old me hated exercise. I tried my best but my overly competitive primary school meant a lot of pressure was put on winning at games, rather than enjoying the movement or taking part. I was confined to being goal keeper at netball because apparently I was taller, but it was probably because they didn’t want me running around the pitch and scoring an own goal!

I attended dance lessons and enjoyed them but once pressure of exams started it was hard to find the time so I stopped.

Fast forward to my eay 20s, I didn’t really think I needed to exercise because at the time I thought exercise was only related to weight loss and being relatively slim I didn’t fit into that category. At the time I was working from home and walking was a great way to get out of the house but to me it didn’t count as exercise because it made me feel good and relaxed afterwards. I guess I associated exercise with embarrassment and dread. So you wouldn’t think that exercise has done wonders to help my anxiety.

I’ve tried multiple gym memberships, weight lifting, running and swimming.I cancelled my gym membership because it was always too busy and the weight section which I enjoyed the most was always packed. However, I did build up a lot of strength which I’m happy about and since cancelling my membership I have more spare cash to spend money on activities I enjoy.

I choose to go to classes because I find them a good way to challenge myself rather than go through the motions on my own. Plus it helps with technique to have guidance from a qualified person.

I go to a jumping fitness class on a Wednesday which is high intensity training on small trampolines. It is great and the best way to release the stresses from work in the middle of the week. If I do not go I feel really sluggish and stiff. Endorphins from exercise are a good mood lifter and each week I find myself feeling fitter and stronger.

Then on a Saturday I go to a Barre/ ballet class. It’s good for stretching, flexibility, balance and muscle toning. Plus there is a nice relaxation section at the end. It gets me up and about and ready for the weekend.

Rather than viewing exercise with dread, I’m grateful for the fact I can move freely and have a good level of fitness. I work for a disability charity which has definitely helped my view on exercise. It’s not about being picked for teams, it’s essential for a strong and healthy life but it has to fit around what you can do. I might not have gotten round to a marathon yet, but I’m great at stomping until my heart is content on a trampoline.

My anxiety about exercise reduced when I put those bad memories behind me. If people have time to stop and laugh at you at the gym, on the pitch or in a class they clearly are not working hard enough!

I find shopping difficult. There is too much choice, the temperature is usually a few degrees above bearable and there are lots of people who I feel are always walking into me.

When I was a teenager, going shopping was seen as the cool thing to do. I don’t think we ever actually brought that much beyond a McDonalds and some cheap earrings from Claire’s accessories . However, I don’t ever remember it causing me much discomfort.

For some reason this all seemed to change in 2014. Myself and my boyfriend decided to go Christmas shopping. We had met a friend for a lare lunch and decided to go our separate ways to find something for each other. All of a sudden I felt really lost, my heart started pounding and I felt really disorientated as it had started to get dark. I was doing my best to try and find the shops I needed and actually concentrate on what was for sale but it was impossible and so overwhelming. Eventually I found a quite space and burst into tears feeling completely hopeless.

I was meant to be driving my boyfriend and friend back to the area they lived in at the time but all I wanted to do was go home. I called my boyfriend and thankfully he came to find me. I couldn’t say anything beyond I wanted to go home. After finding somewhere to sit and have a snack I didn’t even want to face the crowds back to the carpark so I got a taxi back to my car.

I felt awful because our friend thought it was his fault as my boyfriend had left him to his own devices to come and help me. Unfortunately aspects of anxiety can come across as rude, particularly when I was at a time when i was not really sure if anxiety was something I was experiencing.

It was only when the same thing kept happening in the same situation that I started to read more about it. The second time I was in the same shopping centre with my mum listening to a street musician and I couldn’t focus and it felt like everybody was getting in my space. I told my mum I was having difficulty breathing and needed to go somewhere calm.

After a cup of tea and explaining how I felt I realised I have quite high expectations when I go shopping. If I go with something in mind and cant fi d that imaginary item I get worried and the sheer amount of choice available really doesn’t help.

I avoided going to busy shopping areas for a while on my own because I just could not focus and it was not enjoyable for me.

Thankfully the internet has been a huge help for me in this respect. For example, rather than have the pressure of trying things on and getting hot and bothered, if I see something I like, I make a note and will buy it online. It’s been a way to help me face the discomfort of the environment so I can still enjoy the social aspect these places have to offer. Then if things still feel busy I have a list of quiet coffee shops which usually have a shorter queue. As a result of this I have been able to refine my style because I know that I need to look past all the minute trend items at the front of the store which will never make it into my wardrobe. Don’t get me wrong it’s taken a while to get used to and I’ve only managed to get through a round of Christmas shopping without feeling panicked and overwhelmed today. So on that note please persevere and if you experience so nothing similar please try to keep working on your trigger factors. Mine is the business and too much choice. There are ways round it. If yours is navigating, try and find a smaller precinct or if you don’t like much noise, work out the shops which have less background music or have a safe space you can retreat to.

I cannot say I will ever love shopping because I have other things I would rather do but sometimes it has to be done. Finding your best coping strategy to make it more bearable is better than the dread of putting it off and forcing yourself to do it.

As I’ve gotten older I’ve realised it’s ok to not feel as if I need to go out and socialise all of the time.

I want to take you back to 2013-2014. I had a difficult time making friends and felt lonely. All I wanted was a group of people I felt part of.

I bit the bullet and joined Meetup. A website where groups of people organise social events depending on a common interest. I joined a dining club and another for people in their 20s and 30s. I cannot begin to tell you the number of times I got to the carpark and then lost all courage at the last minute.

I have always found small talk difficult and do this thing where I tug my sleeve or do not give much about myself away so I’m still really proud to this day that I managed to step outside of my comfort zone. I met my boyfriend and some great girls who I consider yo be my close friends.

I still go to the Christmas drinks at the dining club but the thought of actually going to another meetup event now really scares me. Maybe because I have what I needed from it or maybe because I know what makes me feel uncomfortable in social situations.

I find conversations with large groups of people difficult and can get lost in the noise. I no longer see this as a negative. I prefer to get to know people in smaller groups

I like to get home in good time. The thought of transport connections not linking up makes me quite nervous, particularly when it is late. I can get a bit twitchy if I feel the conversation goes on too long. This isn’t the case if I have my car but if i have gone to London. To help with this, I do tell the person I am meeting I will need to leave at a certain time.

My work keeps me busy. Sometimes I am just too tired to go out during the week. There are times I have to travel for work and when I’m home I prefer to use the time to relax and recharge. I do worry this makes me seem rude but we all have to protect our time and energy.to tackle this, I go to a jumping g fitness class. It has become part of my routine and feel great afterwards

Going out all the time is expensive. During 2013-2014 my bank account was under a lot of pressure and now I know what my mind can handle in terms of going out I know how much to budget for each month. I also have friends where we can spend time at each others houses. This not only makes me feel more relaxed but is kinder to my purse

I am getting better at saying No to people. My true friends will understand when I am unable to make something.i do not have the pressure of going out to impress strangers, which became the case with Meetup.

Everybody responds to social situations differently. It is good to meet new people but remember you should not feel the pressure to be on form all of the time.

Before adopting Harriet in 2019, my last experience of owning a pet was Cookie, a hamster when I was about 13 and it is fair to say that my Mum did most of the hard work.

Fast forward to the present day and my partner and I decide to look I to rescuing a cat. Due to where we live we were told we would only be able to adopt a very old cat due to the fact we do not have a garden.

We had not previously thought about rescuing a bunny though until we went to our nearest animal rescue place just to have a look. It was then that we came across the most fluffy rabbit named Harriet. She crawled out of her safe bedding area to come and say hello, despite being told by the staff she had never done that before. We took that as a sign from the universe.we went home to think about it and returned the next day to talk to them properly

We asked why she was there in the first place and apparently the previous people had found her to be too anxious and nervous. I felt so sad that they couldn’t give her the time she needed but happy we were able to take her home.

She hid away for the first couple of weeks only emerging for food and would shrink away if we tried to stroke her. However, we had lots of patience and trying to hand feed her eventually did the trick. She still isn’t too keen on being picked up but ultimately rabbits are prey animals and prefer to have all four paws on the ground.

For such a small little rabbit she has taught me a lot.

We all need our own space: as humans we can feel bad breaking up a conversation or leaving early. If Harriet feels too overwhelmed by visitors or noises, she stays with us for as long as she feels comfortable and then hops off somewhere she feels safe

Different moods: our vet said that rabbits are special and can have their down days. I definitely know when Harriet prefers to be left alone. She stops nudging for headstrokes and will take any bits of food or treats to another part of the room and eat them in peace. Sometimes taking some downtime is all you need

Happiness factor: there is nothing more comforting than stroking her soft head and fluffy fur and her coming over to say hello. She is gentle and doesn’t like quick movements or loud noises so I’m definitely more mindful of my own actions when I am around her.

Hi everyone. My name is Leah. I live in London, have a slight obsession with house plants & scented candles; and have a pet rabbit named Harriet. In my day to day work I am an Event Manager in the charity sector.

For as long as I can remember, anxiety has played some part in my life. Even before I even knew it was a real thing. From an overthinking school child worrying about who would pick me as their PE partner because I was always the last one left to be chosen to experiencing extreme exam stress before a mock exam and coming out in hives.

I guess all of these things were normal for me because at the time I did not know any different. My anxiety has never been officially diagnosed by a medical professional but I can definitely identify with the symptoms. I started to explore what anxiety actually is about 3 years ago and now feel comfortable in saying that anxiety is something I live with and try my very best to manage.

That being said, I do not want the negative side of panic attacks and racing thoughts to rule my day to day life so I am here to share my general coping strategies and self-care routine.

There are so many themes I want to explore including work, commuting, shopping centres and travel, so please do come and join me.