Hi everyone,

I'm new here, and it already feels a releif to know there's a place I can belong to... thanks.
I've always been anxious when with other people. Feeling as if I need to prove my legitimacy somehow, to prove that I'm worthy of being part of the group. I used to do it using my intellect - trying to be smart and this way legitimize myself to others. This, of course, only made things worse, but it took my many years to realize it (I'm over 40). Now I'm trying just to "be myself" using some mindfulness techniques, as part of the ACT therapy (Acceptance & Committment Therapy). Breathing, listening to my senses, accepting whatever thoughts and emotions pop up without giving them too much weight, and it all works not bad so far. I find myself being more spontanous and manage to get a feeling of belonging without the need to be "intelligent". Yet there's still a lot of work to be done... I'll be glad to get more ideas and also some references to more exercises of mindfulness etc.

Thanks a lot,

Beamish.