Do you know what I’m not looking forward to coming back when we return to (almost) normal? Networking events. Especially as they’ll likely be smaller and ‘more intimate’ which means a lot fewer chances to hide in a corner waiting for the nightmare to end.

If you’re reading this and nodding along, you’re probably as anxious as I am about networking. However, as my leadership lecturer kept reminding me: One of the MOST important skills you can have in business is the ability to network.

When he said that, I would roll my eyes while hidden away in the corner of the lecture hall. Sure. But, he’s right and deep down I knew that. So, I’m making it my mission to start networking more and learning to conquer my anxiety along the way. Here are six ways to get over the dreaded networking anxiety.

1. Challenge your negative thoughts

Do you know what us anxious people are really good at? Cognitive distortions. We can often fall into the trap of fortune-telling (thinking we know the future), all-or-nothing thinking, and catastrophising. Unfortunately, it’s just the way our brains are wired. However, the first step to removing anxiety from a situation is to stand up and confront those negative thoughts. Challenge them. Ask yourself, “Why do I think that?” and then try to find another way of interpreting the situation. Here’s an example:

Negative thought: “I’m definitely gonna mess things up and say something dumb.”

#marketing #mental-health #networking #entrepreneurship #anxiety #neural networks