Work Christmas "party" - just too much

My work had a small Christmas party sort of thing in reception. I usually dont go to social things at my work but wanted to push myself out my comfort zone. I don't regret doing it, but God was that a lot more difficult than i expected. 

I just get so stuck inside myself in group conversation. Constantly questioning "what do I say now, what can I say to make or progress a conversation, no that's a stupid thing to say" and this internal dialogue jsut keeps going to the point that I just got so insular and have no idea what's being said by others. I don't know many people at my work outside my normal team but I really wanted to talk to others, I just couldn't. It really upsets me. I want to be able to initiate conversation rather than jsut wait and hope someone comes to me.

What didn't help was that some people that I was "kind of" talking to just kept having "banter" about things that were really quite vulgar and at times homophobic. It makes me really uncomfortable, I jsut don't find vulgar things funny. And I want to call out the homophobic *** but if they're all not seeing anything wrong with it it makes it even harder. I can't really call out my whole team. 

It was also so loud, so much background noise from talking and a karaoke machine that kept giving out microphone feedback. At one point I walked about hoping I could get into a conversation somewhere but ended up jsut feeling extremely self conscious and felt like a lonely weirdo walking about. 

I eventually decided I'd had enough (after only about an hour) and left. As soon as I got out the door I jsut started crying. It was so unexpected. I can usually feel a cry when it's coming. But this one jsut happened and I don't really understand it. I found the party difficult but I didn't feel overly emotional until I left. 

Im glad I pushed myself. Im glad I tried. But God I just have this image of who I want to be, and when you have solid evidence that you aren't that person, or youve got so long to go to get to that person, it hurts. Not feeling very Christmas this year. I hope everyone is taking care of themselves. 

Parents
  • But God I just have this image of who I want to be, and when you have solid evidence that you aren't that person, or youve got so long to go to get to that person, it hurts. Not feeling very Christmas this year. I hope everyone is taking care of themselves. 

    Do you really want to be like them? What about all your amazing qualities that they dont have? It will take a lot of masking and and be exhausting. Please try and embrace whobyou are and you will find your people x

Reply
  • But God I just have this image of who I want to be, and when you have solid evidence that you aren't that person, or youve got so long to go to get to that person, it hurts. Not feeling very Christmas this year. I hope everyone is taking care of themselves. 

    Do you really want to be like them? What about all your amazing qualities that they dont have? It will take a lot of masking and and be exhausting. Please try and embrace whobyou are and you will find your people x

Children
  • Thank you for this Tulip. It's not so much I want to be like them, it's just I want to be a version of me I see in my minds eye. A version I know I am, but would like to be able to share with others more easily. But I suppose my expectations for myself have maybe been skewed by what I've wrongly seen in others as "normal". I want to embrace who I am, I just know it'll take time. Thank you again.