172: The Torture of Talking to Strangers

Ever been at a social event on your own and with loads of strangers - wedding, awards ceremony, business networking - and felt suffocated by self-consciousness - the kind that leaves you mute and convinced that everyone is looking at the way you hold your knife and fork - that sort of thing? I have! This episode explores the symptoms, drivers and then offers some very good tips to stop the torture!   References: You Learn by Living - by Eleanor Roosevelt  Letters to a Young Artist - by Anna Deavere Smith  The Spotlight Effect More on 'Self Squashing' - TEDx - Beware the Self Squashing Prophecy Book - The Mystery of the Squashed Self  Resources and links at trishalewis.com