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No matter how many times I’ve had to do it in my life, I just can’t speak in public without being absolutely terrified.
Honestly, it’s probably my least favorite thing to do in the entire world.
And I’m already dreading the next time I have to do it even though I can’t even imagine when that might be…
Folks on AskReddit admitted what makes them nervous no matter how many times they do it.
Let’s take a look.
1. Paranoid.
“Driving past/behind/in front of a cop.
I’ve got a clean record and I don’t do anything illegal but I feel like they will pull me over anyway, and I start to panic if they continue to follow me, even when on main roads.
I look back every 5 seconds to see if they turned their lights and siren on to pull me over.
Paranoia?”
2. Noooooo!
““Before we start, let’s go around the room and say a little bit about ourselves…””
3. You can’t afford these.
“Anytime I go into a bike shop I get really insecure. The last bike shop I went to I was stopped at the door by the owner.
He said, “These bikes cost between $6,000 – $9,000.”
Then he gently placed his hand and on my back and moved me back onto the sidewalk.
It was probably harmless but I felt incredibly stupid.”
4. I’m with you.
“Public speaking.
I don’t think I will ever overcome this fear.”
5. The waiting game.
“Waiting for a result.
If I even think about an exam for which the results haven’t been declared, I get a LOT of anxiety. Currently waiting for the results of a very important exam I gave in February.
My heart rate is 120 while writing this. And now I have stomach ache.”
6. Up on the roof.
“Installing Christmas lights on my house.
I work in a Level 1 trauma center and see people who have fallen from their roofs installing Christmas lights several times a year.”
7. Thankful for texting.
“Calling someone on the phone.
I’m a fairly outgoing person and I love talking to people, but I rely a lot on seeing a person’s face and observing their body language, which isn’t possible on the phone.
Voicemails are less terrible, but I still panic a little because if I mess up while leaving a message, the other person has a freaking recording of me being really awkward. I’m so thankful texting exists.”
8. Twitchy.
“When I was learning how to drive, my mother took me on the interstate for the first time.
She’s a nervous driver as is, and I wasn’t ready, and there was a lot of crying and screaming and i almost sideswiped a few cars trying not to get run over by a truck trying to merge onto the interstate.
Needless to say, even 20 years later, I’m still twitchy on the interstate occasionally.”
9. Handle with care.
“Handling my six month old. They just seem so fragile and he is just so wiggly, I am constantly paranoid that I may accidentally drop him.
To be honest almost all the steps of parenting now that I think about it, if I’m not afraid of accidentally bumping him, I am constantly worrying about what I need to do to be a good parent to him.”
10. Takes a while.
“Starting a new job, because I can’t stand the first few weeks where I don’t know what I’m doing.
But I love walking into a job after 6 months or so when I might as well own the place cause they can’t operate without me!”
11. Not a fan.
“Having blood drawn.
I have to have it done pretty regularly, blood doesn’t gross me out, and I am also covered in tattoos and have had numerous piercings..so you’d think needles wouldn’t phase me.
But something about that little needle going into my vein and sucking out the blood…I always feel a wee bit nervous when I sit down in that chair.”
12. What do I do?!?!
“Coming face to face with people in my apartment building.
After being in lockdown and working from home I’ve become covid stupid.
I’m not able to even get out a hello.”
13. Still scared.
“Driving over train tracks and bridges. It just scares me so much and I have
to cross bridges and train tracks to get to some places so that doesn’t help. Walking on them also scare me. Since I was 5 it always scared me.
I don’t know, why it just does.”
Now it’s your turn to speak up.
In the comments, tell us about what makes you nervous no matter how many times you do it.
We’d love to hear from you!
