In a recent viral Instagram series, Emma Llewellyn the ADHD focused digital creator and co-host of the ADHD Unfiltered Podcast, set a spotlight on the all too familiar fear of being seen.
A common fear amongst the introverted, and people with ADHD that have lived a life of masking their symptoms to try and fit in. For many who experience this in daily life, it shows up in very similar ways, 10s of thousands of people related to how Emma portrayed this fear.
Emma did a great job providing more than few examples of how this fear manifests itself in life like..
Finding it uncomfortable when someone acknowledges what you are doing alone, thinking, I would rather not tell you what I am reading, you will judge me.
Wanting to turn off the TV show you love when someone else enters the room, thinking, I really like this but they'll probably find it stupid or weird.
Hating the walk back from throwing the bowling ball down the alley, thinking, how could I possibly make this look cool?
Cringing when you thought you were singing privately and someone compliments you from another room, thinking, they're just being nice, I am being annoying.
The truth is this fear is all encompassing and stretches beyond your personal life, into your relationship and how you show up in the world. For those solo entrepreneurs and creatives out their selling something they make or monetizing their talents in some way, this fear can hold you back from promoting what you do publicly or reaching your potential on stage.
Many people struggle with this fear on a daily basis and while it may not be something you can get rid of fully, with consistent effort you can work towards a future where you feel more comfortable with being seen. Here are a few possible steps you can take to try and minimize that fear over time.
A great place to start is by acknowledging where you are now and that is will take more than a few steps to get to a point where you are comfortable being seen. Also, it's important that you acknowledge that being seen can and should be a good thing. That's when you make more good friends, get the job you wanted and improve your overall mental health.
After that, it always helps to set and envision a goal for how much you would like to be able to share and show others. At first, set a small short term goal.
Remember always, you are in control of what you share, boundaries are always a good thing and highly depend on the environment. The point here is to work away from sharing and showing nothing to a place where you can show up comfortably authentic.
Lastly, because this is a big topic and we recommend seeking more guidance, look at this journey as an opportunity to heal. This fear often stems from copping mechanisms made early in life that you just don't need any more. Reclaiming you power and instilling some self-confidence in yourself and what you can do goes a long way.
Don't be afraid to ask for support, there are plenty of people out their feeling the same thing. Go check out Emma's video at the links below, the comment sections are filled people that can relate.