Finally made it to a coffee shop meetup after 3 years of trying

Last Saturday I went to a local autism support group meetup at BrewGrounds downtown. I've been thinking about going for 3 years but always bailed last minute because of the noise or trying to figure out parking. I set a timer for 45 minutes and told myself I could leave after that no questions asked. I ended up staying for 2 hours and talked to 2 people about stimming toys and sensory-friendly headphones. It was draining but not as bad as I built it up in my head. Has anyone else found that setting a hard time limit helps you push through the initial anxiety?

3 comments

3 Comments

matthewh2825d ago

Setting a timer just gives me an excuse to bail the second the anxiety spikes, I've found the more I pressure myself to stay the more I actually settle in. Your mileage may vary but that approach never worked for me.

umabailey25d ago

Pressure to stay sounds like a recipe for more panic, not less. If the fear is real, pushing through it just makes you associate the space with that awful feeling. Are you saying you've never had a moment where forcing yourself to stay made things worse?

gavin_clark13d agoMost Upvoted

Whoa, I actually get what you're saying. In my experience, timers can backfire because they turn every second into a countdown to escape, which feeds the anxiety. Pushing through without that crutch has sometimes worked for me too, but it's a fine line. It really does depend on the person and the situation though.