Published on 12, July, 2020
What has helped you?
Age? I'm 26 but I feel older and younger at the same time.
I want to go back to how I was prior to my teenage years. I've internalised a lot of not very nice things. I'm working through it in therapy.
It's weird. I don't care what people think about my (somewhat uncool) interests but I do care what they think about my appearance and personality.
I do want people to like me but I will admit to taking that and running a mile.
When I was younger, I was prone to worrying about what other people thought of me, but in some respects, it seems to have lessened as I've aged. Having said that, it does seem to depend upon the circumstances.
Like you, I am not too bothered by what other people think about my interests. Maybe it's an advantage of being middle-aged, but I tend not to worry about what other people think of my appearance. Having said that, it does give me a boost if someone tells me that an outfit I'm wearing (or maybe the colour of it) really suits me.
Do I worry about what other people think about my personality? Well, it depends on who they are, and what role they play in my life. For example, if I'm having a bad day and come across as abrupt with someone I don't know very well, then it's not the sort of thing that will cause me to lose sleep. However, it matters if the person is someone I know and like, or would like to get to know better.
Yeah I'm still in that process of accepting genuine compliments. I would always feel quite awkward about them.
I do worry that people will form a complete idea of me based on how I behave once, even though I have many layers. Be it good or bad. If I get the giggles or whatever, I don't want anyone to think I don't take things seriously.