Extroverts Can Be Socially Anxious

Hi everyone!! Soo.. if you are hardcore readers of my blog you've probably noticed I didn't just open with my usual 'Hola Lexicans!', and I just thought I'd put it out there I have decided to stop opening with Hola Lexicans. At first I really liked it (obviously or I wouldn't have used it for 2+ years!) but now I'm a little older, and as cute as it is, I do think it's a little cringey for me now (although tbh i'm very cringey)! Don't worry, I'm not changing the style of my blog at all, other than this little cut - it's just something I've been thinking of getting rid of for a while, so I thought 'why not?' Anywayyy, talking about change, today's post is one that is a little different than usual (although I still hope y'all will enjoy it) and I will be talking about a topic quite close to my heart - Extroverts Can Be Socially Anxious. Before I begin quickly, I want to say that I will be talking about my personal experiences and how I'm 'socially anxious.' I would like to say, I do not have diagnosed anxiety, so I understand I cannot compare what I feel to someone with a legitimate mental illness, but I still am an anxious person sometimes.

Extraversion-Introversion is one of the most popular and well-known personality theories. An extrovert is an outgoing, socially confident person (according to good old Google) aka somebody loud, bubbly and chatty. I would 100% class myself as an extrovert. My parents would. My siblings would (well at least my sister would, my little brother would be like 'extro what?!') My teachers would. My friends would. All the tests I take online when I'm bored would. There is no doubt in my mind that I am an extrovert. However, that being said, I possess a lot of traits that go against the common 'extraversion qualities...'

photo credits: https://www.jobsite.co.uk/worklife/5-great-jobs-extroverts-19300/

I am a very socially anxious and awkward person. However, at the same time I love to chat + socialise (IT'S HARD TO EXPLAIN I KNOW!!). For example, on a Friday night a typical 'extrovert' thing to do would be to want to go out with friends (or party if you're older hahaha) but my fav thing to do on a Friday is 100% Netflix and chocolate. Also, the idea of going for a sleepover *fills* me with dread and anxiety. It's not that I don't love my friends in the slightest, I love them all so much and it's not that I get particularly homesick or miss my family (in the nicest way possible!). I don't know why, and I can't explain it, but I really really don't like sleepovers.

As sad as this sounds, and honestly it's not even that big of deal to me, but a lot of my confidence is very much fake. People think I'm confident very naturally, but I truly believe I'm not. When I was in primary school, I vividly remember one of my reports saying something to do with me being 'serious and shy'. If I told this to my current friends they would laugh in my face, but it's true. Whilst I'm not 'serious and shy' at heart - I'm not exactly this super confident person either. I have low self-esteem sometimes too, and whilst again I am making this sound more dramatic than it is, but I just laugh it off so people don't realise.

I talk and laugh all the time for a reason... Because when I don't talk, I think. And when I think, I cry...

Now I'd like to stress, for me it is NOT THAT BAD, but for others this is a reality^^ Please do not assume just because we have a tough, confident, laugh-it-off exterior, that on the inside we are the same way...

SO.. that was quite a deep post hahahah, I just thought I'd switch it off and say something that a lot of the time people don't realise. I want to reiterate that I'm not saying this is the same for all extroverts, as we are not all the same, but yeah! Hope you enjoyed?! I know a lot of the blogging community are introverts so probably don't relate, but let me know if you do, and just your overall thoughts on what I said.. Anything you disagree with?? Anything you'd add?? And let me know in the comments if you class yourself as an extrovert, ambivert or introvert.

Xxx