According to the APA, anxiety is “an emotion characterised by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure.”
Before, NOBODY spoke about it and now EVERYBODY’S speaking about it. Before, everyone was “fine” all the time, and now “I’m stressed”, “I’m anxious”, is accepted as the norm.
Being more open and honest about your feelings is really healthy. Thinking that you will ALWAYS feel that way in a PARTICULAR situation is not.
Anxiety does NOT come from a situation. It is created inside of you, in the moment. Our life experience is created fresh in every instant; we have infinite opportunities to encounter life in NEW ways.
You can even take the tension OUT of your anxiety/stress/nerves by stopping trying to fight them. Stopping trying to overcome them, to control them. Creating SPACE around them.
At the same, say goodbye to the lie, the excuse, that it will ALWAYS be like this; that you will feel nervous forever; that your English will NEVER reach the imaginary level you have created in your mind.
You now know that a C1/C2 certificate for English as a Second Language is NOT a guarantee that you will communicate effectively in real situations, nor that you will feel relaxed.
That’s not to say that you SHOULDN’T get a certificate, it’s simply a reminder: it is what it is.
If you go into an English meeting and you are DESPERATELY trying to listen, to find words and to protect your image, it is normal that anxiety will be created inside of you.
On the contrary, if you go to the meeting FEELING your body (even if there are “anxious” feelings in it; feelings you don’t like), creating space inside your body and being really present with the conversation, then your communication and learning ability drastically improve.
Thus, stop analysing yourself so much and trying to control everything (because you can’t, it’s a FUTILE battle), and get on with this incredible learning ride. A ride that you are choosing to be on. A ride that is intimate with REAL life and living.
Relish in it.