Social anxiety raging leading up to family visit

[Lisa888]

Hi all, I thought I'd post something here as my anxiety is pretty bad at the moment. I live in Australia but am visiting my home country from tomorrow onwards for a bit less than a week to see family and friends. Leading up to these visits my social anxiety always gets really bad, as it feels like everyone wants time with me, has expectations of me and wants to schedule something, whereas I also have to balance that with my own needs of seeing them as well as having worry time to recharge in between, and having a partner who finds social interactions very draining. My calendar is now basically fully booked for the next few days and I keep ruminating that people will be disappointed with the time they get with us, or that my partner will feel overwhelmed with it all. I don't even know where I sit in all this as I've always gone with the flow and am still learning to hear my own voice. Any tips for how to calm down and navigate this situation would be welcome. 

[TrueSeeker]

Hello Lisa, 

It can be very worrying to face situations where our anxiety can flare up. I know that the ultimate should be us being fully open about our anxiety but it can be very hard and depends on how we think it'll be received. It is worth a try whenever you think you're ready to open up.

In other cases, I usually try to have strategies and plans for all different scenarios. When I get uncomfortable in someone's company and need a break, I excuse myself to go to restroom. With my partner we got a running joke about it. Also, if it gets too much, I think it's ok to have a break to deal with your jet lag and exhaustion,
apologise and try to reschedule the meeting.

I hope it goes well for you, take care and let us know how you're going