There’s a lot of posts here already about the importance of friendship, but one more won’t hurt anything at all — in fact, friendship is such an important topic because it really feeds the soul in ways that we don’t really think of. Everyone stands to benefit from making a few new friends; the support derived from true friendship goes beyond mere words. So this Anxiety Challenge is all about making new friends, which means another trip out in public. However, since we’re also trying to keep this as budget friendly as possible, there’s only going to be free venues allowed for this challenge. Parks, coffee houses, and public meeting places are all fair game. Coffee houses often have free events that are open to the public where purchases are not required, which is why they’re allowed.
First, you want to want to pick a space that’s going to have plenty of people. While this seems obvious, it can be tempting to cheat and pick a venue that won’t be filled with people in order to make it more comfortable for yourself — avoid this at all costs if possible. Breaking through anxiety requires getting out of your comfort zone, not going deeper within it.
Next, once you have the crowded space set up, you’ll want to take plenty of time to get seated and physically comfortable in the space. Read for a few minutes, or sketch in a journal if that’s what relaxes you. A few moments of comfort to loosen you up is not a bad thing — just don’t get stuck there! After a while, it’s time to reach out and look around you at the crowd for another person that’s alone. If they’re reading a magazine or also drawing, this is a great conversation starter. The trick is to always look friendly and maintain a healthy distance. You do not have to get in their face — a simple greeting and a few questions may be all you need to open the door to a great conversation with someone that will become a great friend.
You’ll be able to consider this challenge passed when you can successfully approach at least one person. Again, the bar is set low but you can always raise it higher by requiring two or three successful conversations.
Ready for the last challenge? Great, let’s move on!