Latest / Pretty In Pink Again / Episode 42: The Invisible Guest Theory: The Holiday Social Anxiety Mindset Shift We All Need
Transcript
- 0:00I'm Christina and I'm t and this is the Pretty and Pink again podcast where Motherhood meets rediscovery.
- 0:17Hello.
- 0:17Hi.
- 0:18What's going on?
- 0:19Oh, it is freezing today.
- 0:21We're in Connecticut, guys, and it turned, it turned this week.
- 0:26It just feels like winter is here.
- 0:28Yeah, it's like too cold to leave the house.
- 0:31Yeah, we're at that point where it's like too cold to get dressed.
- 0:35It's too, it's cold.
- 0:35It's too cold to do anything.
- 0:37Really.
- 0:37Yeah.
- 0:37Nick is out tonight.
- 0:38He has to go to one of his work holiday parties that I'm opting to not go to because he has opt out.
- 0:43He has three to go to.
- 0:44Oh, wow.
- 0:45So I'm not.
- 0:46I'm not going to this one with him.
- 0:47And I told the kids, I was like, how about we go to the mall tonight and walk around the mall and get pizza at Sally's and have a Friday night at the mall?
- 0:55And they were like, oh, that's different.
- 0:58But don't you remember going to the mall on Fridays?
- 1:00Yes.
- 1:01That's what we used to do.
- 1:02Yeah.
- 1:03Especially in the winter.
- 1:04Hey, walk around.
- 1:04Just go walk around.
- 1:05I know.
- 1:06Have some food.
- 1:06So I think that's what I wanna do with tonight.
- 1:08I like Good idea.
- 1:08That's a great idea.
- 1:10I don't know.
- 1:10I thought it would be fun.
- 1:11And I love Sally's Pizza, so I know it's, we actually have to, I love Sally's Pizza.
- 1:15We have to go next week.
- 1:16We're taking the kids to see Santa.
- 1:17They don't know it yet.
- 1:19Because if I told.
- 1:21Leo especially, I would, he'd wanna go that minute.
- 1:23Yeah.
- 1:23He would ask me probably every second if we were going to see, so he knows that we're gonna see Santa this year, but he doesn't know when.
- 1:30But we're going next week to see Santa.
- 1:33Cute, which I am excited about.
- 1:34'cause that is like a fun little tradition that we've done.
- 1:36And he's at the mall.
- 1:37It's so cute.
- 1:38Yeah.
- 1:38At the mall they have JC Penney.
- 1:40When they were really little, I used to take them to JC Penney's for pictures to, yeah.
- 1:44And the pictures come out.
- 1:46So good.
- 1:47I feel like they're very nostalgic.
- 1:49What about it?
- 1:49Christmas pictures?
- 1:50Yes, they are.
- 1:51Yes.
- 1:52I have the cutest photos of the kids.
- 1:54Mm-hmm.
- 1:54Like sitting in a little basket of ornaments and they just look absolutely adorable.
- 1:58I love it.
- 1:59And they're very inexpensive and super cute.
- 2:01I love that.
- 2:02All of this like nostalgic, everything is coming back.
- 2:06I feel like I've been talking to people about that recently, just because in my dms and stuff I'm talking about like decor and we changed all of our trees out.
- 2:14Mm-hmm.
- 2:15From flocked to non flocked this year, which is going back, it's and everybody's been saying, oh, it's like the nineties, Ralph Lauren, Christmas, and like we have all Ralph Lauren.
- 2:24Everything is just so nostalgic right now.
- 2:27And I feel like everybody's been saying, and this isn't.
- 2:30This is not like a trend that's going on.
- 2:32I'm like no.
- 2:32I think that we're in this like we're riding this nostalgic vibe.
- 2:37For the foreseeable future.
- 2:39Foresee the future.
- 2:39Especially around the holidays, you always do things that bring you back to your childhood.
- 2:43We talked about this in episode a couple weeks ago, and if everybody that grew up in the nineties is now parenting and trying to bring back all of these cute, nostalgic things, of course we're gonna do things like go to the mall, go to Penn's for pictures.
- 2:55Have a non flocked Christmas tree.
- 2:57Yep.
- 2:57Like you didn't have flocked Christmas trees when we were kids.
- 2:59Get all the reds.
- 3:00The plaids though, I feel like our age group is just really, we're craving that vibe again.
- 3:06Yes.
- 3:06Yes.
- 3:07I'm so here for it.
- 3:09I am too.
- 3:10I am.
- 3:10I am.
- 3:10I'm really loving it.
- 3:11So I think get some onion dip and a casserole.
- 3:14I know.
- 3:14I'm really going for it.
- 3:15I know.
- 3:15I love it so much.
- 3:16But do you remember the bread.
- 3:18Dip.
- 3:19That was very popular when we were younger.
- 3:20Like we wouldn't put a dip in a bread.
- 3:21It was like that big, it was like the, like a pumper nickel or like a brown uhhuh bread.
- 3:25What kind of bread was that?
- 3:27Prob like a rye maybe.
- 3:28Like a rye?
- 3:28Yeah.
- 3:28And then inside was like a spinach and almost like a cream cheese.
- 3:33Yes.
- 3:33Yep.
- 3:33I wanna serve that.
- 3:34I know I wanna just serve up some of my past.
- 3:37I feel.
- 3:37I feel like we need to just collectively take it down a couple notches, right?
- 3:42And just go back to the basics.
- 3:44Go back to what worked like not.
- 3:46I'm just, I'm loving this direction.
- 3:48I feel like we're going in a very positive direction.
- 3:51Yeah.
- 3:51I love it.
- 3:51I think we all are taking it back to the basis.
- 3:53And even going to the mall and seeing Santa, I know for a couple of years people were afraid to do that because of COVID.
- 3:58Yeah.
- 3:59We have to remember that people were afraid to go to the mall.
- 4:02Know Santa had a mask on.
- 4:03I know.
- 4:03At the mall.
- 4:04I know.
- 4:04Like he's not creepy enough to begin with.
- 4:06I know.
- 4:07There was a block for a couple of years.
- 4:08Yeah.
- 4:08Where it's coming.
- 4:09We're coming back.
- 4:10We're all coming back.
- 4:11We're, yeah, we're back baby.
- 4:12That's what's going on.
- 4:13So I loved our episode last week.
- 4:15I know.
- 4:15We got great feedback on it.
- 4:17So thank you guys for listening and sharing it.
- 4:19We it identity.
- 4:19Yep.
- 4:20So here's a spinoff on that'cause we're talking about.
- 4:24We're in the holiday season.
- 4:26Yep.
- 4:26So during the holiday season, you have a lot of events to go to, parties to go to.
- 4:31Some are with your close friends, who maybe is your circle.
- 4:33Some are like a work event, right?
- 4:36More of a what is the obligation?
- 4:38Yes.
- 4:38More like an obligatory, I have to show up to this event.
- 4:41So do you play the role of somebody that has social anxiety?
- 4:46Surprisingly, with all my anxiety that I have, I don't get a ton.
- 4:49I don't get a ton of social anxiety.
- 4:51But I also think that I'm answering that thinking of being with my people, right?
- 4:58Mm-hmm.
- 4:58So like I can, so you sound the right people answer.
- 5:00I can answer that saying that I don't have a ton when I'm with certain people.
- 5:05Okay.
- 5:05I don't have, and that's for this year, that seems to be what's on the agenda for kind of just good for you've done the work.
- 5:12Yeah.
- 5:12Yeah.
- 5:12To put make yourself with those people.
- 5:14Yeah.
- 5:15Okay.
- 5:15What about you?
- 5:16All right.
- 5:16So it depends.
- 5:17So for instance, like something like the gala that we had Yes.
- 5:21A couple of weeks ago.
- 5:22Yeah.
- 5:22The cocktail hour gives me social anxiety that, that gala, which in case we didn't share that was the Connecticut Children's Gala.
- 5:29That's like a, that is'cause I agree with you on that statement.
- 5:32That was just the cocktail hour.
- 5:33That was a huge event.
- 5:35There was like 1200 people I believe.
- 5:37It's usually such a big event, and I agree with you.
- 5:39Going to an event like that does give me a little bit of anxiety just because it's overwhelming.
- 5:44There's so much going on.
- 5:46There's so many people and it almost feels like there's almost like too much going on where you're like but you don't even know where to go.
- 5:53Like that.
- 5:54I, that sort of thing.
- 5:55Does give me anxiety, so I agree with you.
- 5:58So in, in those situations, what gives me anxiety is I feel like I'm a little bit more of a latcher and a question asker and I'm like interested in a conversation.
- 6:08And in those situations I feel like I'm listening with one ear and looking with one eye because there's almost, there's too many people, you don't wanna keep trap somebody in a conversation because everybody that I'm trying to be aware that everybody there is just trying to do a hello?
- 6:23You're like mingling and a move like yes.
- 6:24Keep it going here, yes.
- 6:25And people are in line to get drinks.
- 6:27People wanna do the auction.
- 6:28Like I almo, I'm trying to be aware enough that other people wanna do that and I feel like I spend so much of my time being aware of what others are doing.
- 6:36That I forget that other people probably feel similar to me.
- 6:40It's like a Hi, bye.
- 6:41Situation high.
- 6:42Bye.
- 6:42Like, And that's a hard, sometimes that's a harder almost place to be at where you're just like, hi, bye.
- 6:47That's it.
- 6:47Like you're just saying hello.
- 6:48It's pleasantries.
- 6:49There's no time to really get into any sort of extended conversation.
- 6:53So sometimes that feels weird, especially when you're going with people that you know, and there is a big bigger group of people that you do know, right?
- 7:01Mm-hmm.
- 7:01And then you're just Hey, I saw you, like even when you, me and you, we went there, we don't talk.
- 7:06And then we didn't talk.
- 7:07When we were there, we went together and then barely talked when we were there.
- 7:10And that, so I totally agree with situations like that, but what about more like intimate settings?
- 7:15So I'm better Me too, in those situations.
- 7:19Me too.
- 7:19Because then I feel like I can talk, because those situations are meant for talking and catching up and laughing.
- 7:26And exchanging conversation.
- 7:28I'm much better in those situations.
- 7:31I agree.
- 7:31And then.
- 7:32For another situation where I teeter on both sides is when I have to go to holiday parties or work dinners or something like that for Nick, where I'm the plus one.
- 7:41Yes.
- 7:42And I don't wanna get trapped in a conversation, right?
- 7:45Because then I feel like I'm trapped in a conversation.
- 7:49So I try to keep it light, but I'm not light.
- 7:52But you aren't light.
- 7:52I'm not light, no.
- 7:54I'm so you're, you are a person that is, I would say you're an easy person If you have another chatty human, you, you definitely would get locked in a conversation with somebody.
- 8:04And I, because you give a lot back.
- 8:06So then it just keeps going.
- 8:07And I don't think that you even know when to cut it off, there's no, so I'm gonna give, exit our listeners some tips today Okay.
- 8:13On when you go to a holiday party.
- 8:15Okay.
- 8:15And you are somebody who's anxious and doesn't know what to do, or is gonna get in the car on the way home and overthink everything you said.
- 8:23Everything you wore Oh, did I eat with my mouth open?
- 8:26If you are an overthinker of situations, I'm going to share some tips and tricks that I find helpful.
- 8:33Good.
- 8:33In those situations we all need to hear it.
- 8:35We all need to hear them.
- 8:36'cause I'm sure everybody, they might lead you to be trapped though.
- 8:38I know there's nothing, honestly, there's nothing worse than getting trapped in a conversation when you're checked out.
- 8:43Like that.
- 8:44That's just the worst.
- 8:44And I don't even mean to say that I'm checked out.
- 8:47I'm just trying to you're trying to move and groove to the next person.
- 8:50To like, because I'm here as the supportive role to my husband, who also probably doesn't wanna be there'cause he has terrible social anxieties.
- 8:57Yeah.
- 8:58But anyway, so I saw this clip on Instagram.
- 9:02And actually Nick sent it to me.
- 9:04It's so funny, like what his algorithm must.
- 9:08Be showing him other than pictures of naked girls.
- 9:10He gets all of these Nick could keep it coming'cause he's giving us episode ideas, so keep it coming.
- 9:15He's been sending you really good content.
- 9:17I'm like, okay.
- 9:18Thanks Nick.
- 9:19That just sparked a whole conversation between me and you, so I know.
- 9:23Love it.
- 9:24I know.
- 9:24I'm like, what is your album?
- 9:25He's sending you like trying to be like hey, you need this?
- 9:28And then we're like, can we turn this into an episode?
- 9:30It's really, it's interesting what he sees, but then it's the episode is our take on it.
- 9:35Yes.
- 9:35It's our take on what?
- 9:36It's our take on it.
- 9:37So he sent me this thing on Instagram and it was the Invisible Guest Theory.
- 9:41Yes.
- 9:41I loved this and I thought this was really interesting.
- 9:46This is something that I try to tell my kids, even though this is something that's really mean to hear.
- 9:50But I tell my kids all the time, you are not special.
- 9:54You are special to mommy and daddy, grandma, grandpa.
- 9:57You are not special to anybody else.
- 9:59And when they hear that, they're like, what do you mean we think that we're so special?
- 10:02I'm like you are, but once you leave this house, you are not right.
- 10:07People don't pay close attention to you.
- 10:09And that's the sense that I mean it in.
- 10:11Yes.
- 10:11Like mommy pays close attention.
- 10:13List the pressure.
- 10:13Yes.
- 10:13Mommy pays close attention to you.
- 10:15Mm-hmm.
- 10:15Mommy cares about your grades.
- 10:17Mommy cares about your health.
- 10:19Other people don't pay attention.
- 10:21They're too busy paying attention to themselves.
- 10:24So when I say that to them, I'm saying it in a sense of try to take the outside world pressure off.
- 10:30Yeah.
- 10:30Not minimize them and make them feel like they're worthless and not special.
- 10:33So this I guess, sort of thing on Instagram was the invisible guest theory and that.
- 10:42Half the time when you go to an event at somebody's home, and this is not your close friend close dinner party,'cause you are visible in those situations.
- 10:52I'm talking more about like the gala.
- 10:54These like large social obligation parties, like these large holiday parties, you are an invisible guest because the host is too busy worrying about is the food coming out on time?
- 11:04Are people taking their shoes off?
- 11:06Are my floor is getting scuffed?
- 11:07Is the temperature okay?
- 11:08Is the music too loud?
- 11:10Who's here?
- 11:11Are people gonna be drinking and driving?
- 11:12I'm just saying the host has other Yeah.
- 11:14Worries on their mind other than what one out of 20 people is wearing or dropped a crumb on the ground or whatever.
- 11:23So you are that invisible guest.
- 11:24Yep.
- 11:25And if you think of yourself as an invisible guest, it takes the pressure off going to, it does a holiday party or it should, because like you're saying, the host is usually preoccupied with things.
- 11:34And then if you're going into.
- 11:36Somewhere worried about all the things that you don't wanna do or wanna do, or how you wanna present yourself.
- 11:42Like you're saying the things that you're wearing.
- 11:44Am I gonna drink too much?
- 11:45Am I gonna do all these things?
- 11:46I can guarantee you that other people are also feeling like that.
- 11:50And so everybody just turns inward.
- 11:53And everybody's doing that, so it's invisible.
- 11:55Like you're invisible to everybody.
- 11:57Which, I know it sounds weird, but it does lift the pressure off of you.
- 12:01And if you can think about that, it does help relieve some of that social anxiety because you're like, not everybody's making this about me.
- 12:09And I think that we tend to do that.
- 12:11Oh, we say we important.
- 12:12Yes.
- 12:12Like we tend to make ourselves way more important than we are, and in reality, everybody's usually feeling somewhat of the same way.
- 12:21I'm sure there's variations of that, but.
- 12:24It, I think it does help to lift the pressure.
- 12:26Like everyone has their own shit going on.
- 12:29They're not worried about you, I think it's more of an internal pressure that we put on ourselves and then it comes out.
- 12:34100% is I love that.
- 12:37I just love this idea of this theory.
- 12:40I love it for a party and just for life in general.
- 12:42Yeah.
- 12:42It's a good thing to keep in the back of your mind if you're feeling anxious socially about anything.
- 12:47And we thought this was very fitting for the holidays because like you said, this is the time of year where you end up seeing a lot of friends, a lot of acquaintances, coworkers, family members, extended family members.
- 12:59And sometimes you can put way too much pressure on yourself this time of year.
- 13:03Like There's not already enough pressure on you.
- 13:05And for all of the things for like internal in your house, and then you have all this pressure on the outside too, but really you don't.
- 13:13If you think about it this way.
- 13:14There's this, they talked about this spotlight effect.
- 13:18How when you go into a social situation, your nervous system fires off.
- 13:24Yeah.
- 13:24And you feel like a spotlight is on you.
- 13:26Yeah.
- 13:26There is no spotlight on you.
- 13:27You There is no spotlight.
- 13:28There is absolutely, there's really not no spotlight on, there's no spotlight on, on anybody.
- 13:33Yeah.
- 13:33Did I look okay?
- 13:34Did I sound smart?
- 13:35Did anybody like me?
- 13:36Can people tell I'm anxious?
- 13:38There's so many.
- 13:39Like spiraling.
- 13:40Do you ever have any of these when you go to these parties?
- 13:42Yeah, for sure.
- 13:42And I'm gonna say something because when I was growing up in high school, there was a teacher that used to go around and it was like a saying she always used to say.
- 13:50And so this is in the back of my mind, and it always makes me think of this.
- 13:53She would go, in college, you're just a number.
- 13:57It really stuck with me and it was stuck with everybody, and it became like a running joke with people I grew up with.
- 14:02It's like in college, you're just a number.
- 14:03You're just a number.
- 14:04And it's true because it's not all about you.
- 14:07You go out into the real world and you're just one with everybody else.
- 14:11And so I do feel like that sort of, that is in the back of my mind, but I, of course, I feel the pressure, like and I think that, of course, I'm somebody that always thinks everything is all about me.
- 14:22Like I get an anxious about things.
- 14:24Mm-hmm.
- 14:24And I worry about what people are gonna think and that has me written all over it.
- 14:27But.
- 14:28I do think that when you're in the presence of the right people and people that don't tend to bring out that side of you, it's easier.
- 14:36However, this time of year, like you said, there's obligations where you you can't always be in the company of people that make you feel your best.
- 14:43You're gonna be at work functions, extended family functions, if it's not your immediate family it's your family by.
- 14:50Default.
- 14:50Yeah.
- 14:51Not by choice.
- 14:52They're your family by default.
- 14:53Yeah.
- 14:53And everybody has crazy family stories, of course.
- 14:56Of like the crazy uncle, the crazy cousin.
- 14:58And you come together because your family and because that's one of your values, and I'm sure there's always gonna be that one aunt that brings, the five liter bottle of orange soda and deviled eggs or something.
- 15:10There, there's always like some crazy family story.
- 15:13Of course.
- 15:13And that, so this is a time where you're gonna be in these situations, that don't have to be in the rest of the year that you don't, that you're not typically in Yes.
- 15:19The rest of the year.
- 15:20Yeah.
- 15:20Oh, did I bring the wrong thing?
- 15:22Did somebody not like this?
- 15:24Did somebody not like what I did?
- 15:26Or does my house look good enough?
- 15:27Is it clean enough?
- 15:28Are they gonna judge our home?
- 15:30Or this or that?
- 15:32And ultimately everybody judges everything.
- 15:34Their thoughts.
- 15:35It may not be judgment, they're just thoughts.
- 15:37Of course, you're gonna have a thought about your surroundings.
- 15:40Some people pay more attention to detail than others, but I think it's wrong to assume that people are gonna come to your home and not have any opinions.
- 15:48But that's, but doesn't that go against what we were just saying?
- 15:50So you're not that, that then you don't feel invisible, but that's more so just, I guess overall.
- 15:56Yeah.
- 15:56You think like I'm taking the pressure off like an individual.
- 15:59People are gonna have thoughts throughout the night, so many thoughts like, oh this appetizer was a little cold, or this drink was good, or, oh, this or that.
- 16:07But I don't think that thoughts are like, so judgment judgy on one sole person.
- 16:12Like you are just one player In the environment.
- 16:16In the environment.
- 16:16Yeah.
- 16:17You're just one thing in the whole piece.
- 16:19So I guess to that point though, what do you think actually causes like the holiday social anxiety?
- 16:26You have 25 days of 25 things.
- 16:30Whereas usually like in the summer you have 90 days of, maybe 10 things.
- 16:34So you have a lot crammed into a short period of time.
- 16:38And it's a busy time of year.
- 16:41People are just already, that do a lot, are already doing a lot.
- 16:46And then you have obligations like holiday parties, they're social obligations.
- 16:51They're not even like dinner parties that you would like to have on the books with like close friends and family members.
- 16:56Yeah.
- 16:57So you have to find an outfit that's appropriate for that group.
- 17:00So that's another thing.
- 17:01You're almost playing somebody else.
- 17:04Yeah.
- 17:04So you have to find a holiday outfit.
- 17:06So you're in a costume.
- 17:08Yes.
- 17:08It's like you're performing.
- 17:09Yes.
- 17:09Yes.
- 17:10And I see that you're not just like showing up as you, I know you have to like, put the armor on.
- 17:15Yeah.
- 17:15I'm going to this event and I'm gonna look a little bit more conservative version of you.
- 17:20A festive version of me.
- 17:21Yes.
- 17:22And I'm not gonna drink too much at this event because I am, this is a work relationship.
- 17:28There's additional pressure because it is the holidays, so you have to show up.
- 17:33I love that in costume because it really is, it's like a, everybody, you're like you have to dress the part, right?
- 17:39And so that is, it's a, an additional layer that gets added onto it.
- 17:43It's like there's a little bit more pressure to bring something or add value to something.
- 17:47Or there's just, and like you said, then you're just booked and busy this whole season.
- 17:52So there's just, it's, you're going from one thing to the next thing and you have to play a different part at each thing.
- 17:59But just like looking at the other side of the coin, if you're somebody who's like quiet and introverted and these events exhaust you, you can almost hide behind your costume.
- 18:08Because if you wear this outfit that you wouldn't typically wear, people maybe will be commenting on your.
- 18:14Elaborate costume.
- 18:15Yeah.
- 18:15And then you don't have to talk about yourself or you that night.
- 18:19That's a Nick Bon tempo trick.
- 18:21Yeah.
- 18:21He, I know.
- 18:21He's always so with, he loves a costume.
- 18:23He does.
- 18:24He loves a costume.
- 18:25I love it.
- 18:25He loves hiding behind a costume and the theme.
- 18:28I'm gonna give like a few tips of of being a host and a guest.
- 18:32Okay.
- 18:33When I go to a party, okay.
- 18:34And I'm a little uncomfortable, Nick will always be busy at a party, whether we're hosting the party at our house or somebody's hosting a party at their house.
- 18:41Nick will always be emptying trash cans, getting people drinks.
- 18:46He will always be busy because if he's busying himself, he doesn't have to stop and talk about himself because he hates talking about himself.
- 18:53Right.
- 18:53So.
- 18:54My first tip would be if you are uncomfortable, be a little busy.
- 18:59Be a little bit more helpful, be a little bit more helpful.
- 19:02Yeah.
- 19:02Help the host, the host in the kitchen.
- 19:04Yep.
- 19:04Hang up a jacket.
- 19:06Like easy tasks.
- 19:07Yeah.
- 19:07You don't have to be valeting cars outside.
- 19:09Like easy tasks, like clear a couple things.
- 19:12If you look busy, you look helpful.
- 19:14That's like a, it takes it.
- 19:15Yeah.
- 19:16That's a gold star.
- 19:17Yeah.
- 19:17And then you're like doing something and then people won't.
- 19:20Come talk to you.
- 19:21And then if you don't want people to talk to you, then they won't talk to you.
- 19:24If there are kids there, go play with the children.
- 19:26Yes.
- 19:26If they're not your children, you're gonna like them.
- 19:28Yeah.
- 19:28It that, those are my what?
- 19:30That's a good one.
- 19:30My next tip is this could trap you in a conversation, so if you're in the mood for that.
- 19:36Okay.
- 19:36People love to talk about themselves.
- 19:38Yes.
- 19:38Ask them questions.
- 19:40Ask a question.
- 19:41Yeah.
- 19:41And then ask another one.
- 19:43Yeah.
- 19:43I ask a lot of questions, so if you don't feel like answering them, do not talk to me at a party.
- 19:49Stay away from me.
- 19:50What are some of your go-to questions when you like, don't know somebody that well.
- 19:54Do you have kids?
- 19:55Yeah.
- 19:55How old are your kids?
- 19:57Oh, you have a boy and a girl?
- 19:59Oh, how old are they?
- 20:00Oh, how's school going?
- 20:01Oh, sports.
- 20:03Ugh.
- 20:03I know it's the worst.
- 20:04Like I, and I'm making it sound like it's not sincere.
- 20:06It's usually very sincere.
- 20:07Yeah.
- 20:08But those are great questions.
- 20:09Okay.
- 20:10And if you ask enough questions, nobody will ask you anything back, and then you don't have to talk about yourself.
- 20:14There you go.
- 20:15And it's great.
- 20:16Okay.
- 20:17I love that.
- 20:18That would be my go-to question.
- 20:19What are your other tips?
- 20:21Oh, this is another good one.
- 20:23Okay.
- 20:23Be an introducer.
- 20:25Oh, hey, you do, so and you're very good at that too.
- 20:28I love introducing people.
- 20:29Yeah.
- 20:29Then those two people start talking and then you don't have to talk.
- 20:33Be an introducer.
- 20:34Be a connector.
- 20:35And also to not just to get yourself outta the conversation, then to make somebody else maybe feel more comfortable.
- 20:43Yeah.
- 20:43Yep.
- 20:43That's not, if you're going to a work event and there's a new hire and they, this is their first one or their second one and you've been to the past 10.
- 20:50Maybe find that person who's probably more anxious to be there than you are and being introduced.
- 20:56I like that because you're taking any sort of like internal, like looking at yourself, and you're just saying, okay, I'm gonna shelve this for right now and help out somebody else.
- 21:05Because like we're saying, everybody probably feels anxious to a degree.
- 21:10And so if you can help alleviate that for somebody else, then you're helpful and you're introducing and helping to spark a conversation mm-hmm.
- 21:18with somebody else.
- 21:18I do like that tip.
- 21:19Yeah.
- 21:20That's great.
- 21:20Another tip is I eat before I go to parties.
- 21:25I we know I get hangry.
- 21:27Yes, we do.
- 21:27And I don't love hor d'oeuvres.
- 21:29I don't love past hor d'oeuvres.
- 21:30I never know what to do with my hands.
- 21:32Mm-hmm.
- 21:32I never know am I supposed to be hugging somebody and then I have a drink and then I have a shrimp cocktail and a crab cake.
- 21:38I always get very confused.
- 21:41Yes.
- 21:41With appetizers.
- 21:42I am, I don't leave me on an island with that one.
- 21:45I, it's embarrassing.
- 21:47I agree with you because I I was gonna say, I feel, I have a couple of ti I feel, so tell me what ends up happening to me is if I don't eat,'cause I feel like I've done that so many times where I'm like, oh, I'm going to this party later.
- 21:58I can't wait to eat.
- 21:59'cause I like love to eat food.
- 22:00I love the whole course.
- 22:01Try new things.
- 22:02And yes.
- 22:02And I also love this time of year, I always love like holiday sort of food and I love appetizers and all that.
- 22:08But then what happens to me is if I get there and I'm chatting, I don't eat.
- 22:13And and then I feel like if I have anything to drink, it could just, it just can snowball very quickly.
- 22:18And then sometimes you're like, wait, we went to this event and I didn't even eat anything, or I didn't eat as much as usual.
- 22:23I'm still hungry.
- 22:24So I feel like sometimes you, your intuition is to not eat because you're going to an event later.
- 22:30But especially if you're going to something, unless it's like a sit down dinner where you know you're going to eat.
- 22:35That's a great tip.
- 22:36To eat before, even if it's just a little snack.
- 22:39So it gets you into the night just in case.
- 22:41You end up in a conversation, you're not eating as much for some reason.
- 22:45That's very helpful.
- 22:46For me, what's been very helpful which sucks, but it's not drinking as much and I feel like this is usually the time of year where you wanna indulge a ton.
- 22:56And I actually to that point, there's like these specialty cocktails similarly to the food.
- 23:01Yes.
- 23:02It's more like an experience.
- 23:04Oh, this is the, it's part of BestFest of drink.
- 23:06Yep.
- 23:06But I notice that number one, of course we notice that there's an immediate like hangover.
- 23:13Of course you're not gonna feel the best the next day, but even during the night, I like myself so much better when I'm not drinking.
- 23:21And it doesn't mean that I'm a mess when I'm drinking, but I feel like I like having the control over, knowing what I'm saying.
- 23:30I'm not oversharing anything.
- 23:32I'm not being extra loud.
- 23:34So I can leave the night knowing I was on my best behavior because I remember everything.
- 23:38I feel good.
- 23:39I was in control of myself.
- 23:41I feel like when I'm drinking, almost to the point where you were saying about the eating, like you don't know what to do.
- 23:45I'm sipping a lot and if I get anxious, I end up sipping a lot more.
- 23:49Yeah.
- 23:50And.
- 23:50So I, that has been something that I find in social situations.
- 23:54It's something where I want to drink when I'm out, but I don't like to drink when I'm out.
- 24:00So what I've done is I either, I've switched to beer, so I feel like I don't, you've always been a beer girl.
- 24:06I can drink beer.
- 24:06You really are taking time.
- 24:07But I dont drink a lot of beer, so it's I don't drink, meaning I don't drink a lot of volume of beer.
- 24:13It's easier for me to sip on because I feel like champagne, some of these wines, like they go right to your hat.
- 24:19I feel like you can, you'll be sipping and glasses will go by.
- 24:22Also, you're not gonna drink warm beer, so you're gonna sip on the beer while it's, sip the beer while it's cold.
- 24:26And then once it gets warm, you're not gonna have it.
- 24:28It's over.
- 24:28It's over.
- 24:29It's done.
- 24:29And or what I will do is I'll have a drink right at the beginning of the night and then I'll switch to a mocktail.
- 24:35And I feel if you ask for a mocktail, everybody has mocktail.
- 24:38Everybody has mocktails.
- 24:39They, that's the direction that things are going in.
- 24:41Yeah.
- 24:41They can look very festive.
- 24:43And sometimes you just need a little bit of something to just, I don't wanna say take the edge off, but just make you, maybe loosen you up a little bit, make you feel good, but then switching to that like right away.
- 24:54So it's like you get the drink, but then you know you're gonna switch to a mocktail or you switch to club soda or something easy.
- 25:00But that has helped me a ton and it really helps me in the moment too, right?
- 25:05Like I notice myself like way less anxious when I know I'm, I don't have a buzz like, which that kind of goes to.
- 25:15Some of the things on our outline said when you get in the car on the way home from a party, if you have social anxiety at a party, you get in the car on the way home and you're overthinking everything you said and did what I've saying.
- 25:26Did I share something you've been drinking?
- 25:27You might have that same feeling.
- 25:28Maybe not till the next day.
- 25:30I was getting that.
- 25:30And then you've ruined the whole next day.
- 25:32Yes.
- 25:32Because I, chances are you probably did not say or do anything, or if you did, there was not a microscope paying that close attention to you.
- 25:40But it's still like an thing, but it's still for yourself if you're worrying about it.
- 25:44And the alcohol is a contributing factor.
- 25:46I think eliminating it is wise.
- 25:47I'm not even saying this to be like, oh, this is about drinking too much and getting out of control, but sometimes it's just about.
- 25:56The vibe that you give off.
- 25:58I know, like I'm not worrying oh, was I like slurring my words or anything like that.
- 26:02But sometimes I notice that when I drink I get louder.
- 26:06I interrupt people more because you get you're like excited.
- 26:09And I, so I feel like just I do when those things at baseline, I do them when I drink and I just, that those are things that then I think about after and I'm like, did I say too much?
- 26:20Did I overshare did I come across rude?
- 26:23Like all of those things.
- 26:25That, that kind of helps me eliminate that from.
- 26:29The afterthought of the night, right?
- 26:31You're like I was fine all night, so I know I was good.
- 26:34Perfect.
- 26:34Yep.
- 26:35You check your checks and balances are in order.
- 26:37Yeah.
- 26:38Yeah.
- 26:38Which I know is not the most fun, but that's why I the, one drink switch to a mocktail or, give yourself a little bit of a cutoff.
- 26:44Have you tried any of the adaptogens?
- 26:46I have done like CBD drinks.
- 26:49Okay.
- 26:49Just Do you like them?
- 26:50I haven't done them socially though.
- 26:52Oh.
- 26:52I've tried them like just just for relaxing, but I haven't tried them socially, so I can't speak to doing that instead at a party.
- 26:58I have a few friends now that are sober, they don't drink.
- 27:01They said like they, their skin is better, their sleep is better.
- 27:04They just feel so much better.
- 27:05And they have, it almost looks like these crystal light packets and they bring them with them and they order a mocktail and they just like.
- 27:12Put it in.
- 27:13Yeah.
- 27:13And just, they're a little not available yet at bars.
- 27:16Bars or restaurants or whatever.
- 27:18So they bring their own, right.
- 27:19So I'd be curious how, I've never tried them.
- 27:22I think at this point I feel like for me it's more about the levelheadedness of not having anything cloud me.
- 27:30So I think that.
- 27:31I can't speak to if it would make me feel different than any sort of booze or liquor, but like I feel like for me it's just knowing that I'm not cloudy and there's nothing hindering judgment or making me a certain way.
- 27:44I feel like when I'm at my baseline I'm like, okay, I'm feeling good.
- 27:48'cause I feel like I could put that in the same category as drinking.
- 27:51Yeah, I see.
- 27:51Because then you're, oh, did I get.
- 27:52Was, did I look too sleepy?
- 27:54Did it make me too relaxed?
- 27:56Did I not seem like I knew what I was talking about?
- 27:58I would almost think that I would feel the same way on something, but it might be the opposite, right?
- 28:02It might chill me out too much.
- 28:03I feel like when I've, I would probably say I've been doing this for about two years.
- 28:08Granted.
- 28:08'cause this is after Layla.
- 28:10I really started like just making sure that I was not drinking too much because I've had mental health struggles that I've been so open about, and I thought anything that was going to contribute to a downer is not gonna help me.
- 28:22So I really started laying off alcohol a lot.
- 28:25And you liked how it made you feel?
- 28:26I like how it makes that version of yourself.
- 28:28I like how it makes me feel.
- 28:29And I don't wanna say, oh I will never drink again.
- 28:32That's not what I'm saying.
- 28:33But I just know what I can control and I like it better.
- 28:36Okay.
- 28:37So I like a tip.
- 28:39I like that tip.
- 28:39I like that tip.
- 28:40Okay.
- 28:40I think that another.
- 28:43Thing to do is to prepare when you're in the car on the way there.
- 28:46I think preparation is always key.
- 28:48I think that you can, like a little rehearsal, like a slight rehearsal, a slight intention setting of the night.
- 28:53Okay.
- 28:54Maybe how long are we planning to stay for?
- 28:56Yes, Yes.
- 28:57Sometimes if you have an exit strategy, uhhuh and a time in mind, then you can do anything till 9:00 PM you can do anything till 10:00 PM there's no lingering.
- 29:07I love a game plan.
- 29:08We're gonna go to the game plan.
- 29:09Yeah.
- 29:09And who knows?
- 29:09You might surprise yourself.
- 29:10Yeah.
- 29:10You might get there and you wanna stay longer.
- 29:12Yeah.
- 29:12That's a win.
- 29:13But if you're going, I'm talking more if you're going to something that you have to go to, an obligation or an obligatory holiday party that you're nervous about entering.
- 29:24I think it's good to go with a little bit of a game plan.
- 29:27I think it's good to go with a game plan anyway.
- 29:29Especially if you're going with like your partner or your spouse, like Raja and I do this all the time where we do, we have a pre-meeting we're like, okay, we're going, we're in the,'cause.
- 29:37We do that when we're in the car.
- 29:38We're like, how long are we staying?
- 29:40When are we gonna try to leave?
- 29:41Just so we're on the same page.
- 29:42It's okay, no, we're going in.
- 29:44This is gonna be a late night.
- 29:46Because sometimes what happens is if you're not on the same page and you wanna leave and your spouse doesn't, or whoever you came with doesn't like, that's so you, I like that setting the intention of the night.
- 29:56Like you have to do that so you know what you're in for.
- 30:00Are we gonna try to stay late?
- 30:01Are we seeing how it is?
- 30:02Yeah.
- 30:02Are we gonna make the call a little bit later in the night?
- 30:05Are we saying, okay, we're out by nine.
- 30:07Like we're, we have to get back home?
- 30:10It's always, it's the intention.
- 30:11It's always good to have an exit strategy.
- 30:13Yes.
- 30:13And also before you go to an event, find out, is this a sit down dinner?
- 30:17Yes.
- 30:17If it's a sit down dinner, you, your exit strategy cannot be in the middle of a sit down dinner.
- 30:21You're there till the end of the dinner.
- 30:23If you go to a cocktail party, you can GTFO whenever you want.
- 30:26As far as I'm concerned.
- 30:27Yeah, for sure.
- 30:27You can Irish goodbye.
- 30:29Yeah.
- 30:29And be done with it.
- 30:30Oh, that's a good, I like that.
- 30:31Are you an I Irish goodbye or I didn't say goodbye to you the other night?
- 30:34I Irish goodbye to you.
- 30:36Oh, I'm totally an Irish goodbye.
- 30:37Irish goodbye me.
- 30:38Anytime you want.
- 30:39I agree.
- 30:39I'm very much okay with that.
- 30:40I am not someone who gets offended by oh, they did not say goodbye to me.
- 30:44I'm like, they probably left.
- 30:45They had to get home.
- 30:46I think that lingering can be stressful.
- 30:48Yes.
- 30:48And then also, oh, did I say goodbye to everybody?
- 30:51Oh, shoot.
- 30:52I think say goodbye to the host.
- 30:54Yes.
- 30:54Yep.
- 30:55And then that's it.
- 30:57Get outta there.
- 30:57Yep.
- 30:57I totally agree.
- 30:58I'm okay with that.
- 30:59I'm okay with that.
- 31:00I know, I'm sure people are not, but I agree.
- 31:03I think it's socially acceptable to do that.
- 31:05Yep.
- 31:05Have an exit strategy.
- 31:07You have to.
- 31:08Alright, so back to the what if you get caught into a conversation an awkward conversation.
- 31:15I have no tips because this happens to me a lot and I don't know how to get out of them.
- 31:21Okay.
- 31:22I'm trying to think when this has happened to me.
- 31:24Last.
- 31:24How about, ooh, I'm running low on drinks.
- 31:28I have to go grab another drink.
- 31:29Excuse me for one moment and then don't then come back.
- 31:32Excuse the drink.
- 31:32Excuse.
- 31:34I have to go use the bathroom.
- 31:35Oh, there you go.
- 31:35What about that?
- 31:36That's an easy one.
- 31:37Bathroom excuse, duh.
- 31:38Oh, excuse me.
- 31:39For one moment.
- 31:39I have to use the bathroom.
- 31:40Yeah, there you go.
- 31:40If you're not too embarrassed to tell somebody you have to go to the bathroom.
- 31:44Yes, I know.
- 31:45I would use that one.
- 31:46Okay.
- 31:46That's an easy one.
- 31:47Come on.
- 31:47How do we not think of that?
- 31:49Last summer a really bad bout of you did anxiety socially too soc really bad social anxiety.
- 31:55Yeah.
- 31:55Yeah.
- 31:55To the point where even when I was with my people it was almost worse.
- 31:59I know it was because I, yeah.
- 32:00It was odd.
- 32:01It was like, oh, I'm in my safe zone.
- 32:03And then it even got even worse.
- 32:04Yeah.
- 32:05So you saw a couple of times.
- 32:06And I would have to slowly enter a party.
- 32:10I would have to like slowly find, like it would take me like two hours to warm up.
- 32:13I don't know what was going on with me.
- 32:15I know it's a real thing.
- 32:16I know something had happened to my nervous system.
- 32:19So I really feel bad for anybody that's having this like physiological Yeah.
- 32:23Feeling of nervousness when they're entering a social situation.
- 32:27'cause I've been there and trust me, I didn't know.
- 32:29What was happening, needing to really dip your toe in.
- 32:32You couldn't make like a full round, like I feel like you were somebody that needed to go in and just chill with maybe a smaller group of people at the beginning.
- 32:39And then as you started to warm up a little bit, you would start working the room and kind of, but it was very, it took a really long time.
- 32:45I'd have to go in, I'd have to go to the bathroom.
- 32:47Yeah, I'd have to wash my hands with cold water.
- 32:50I'd have to take a couple deep breaths.
- 32:52I'd have to make sure that I had something to eat.
- 32:53'cause I would get a stomach ache because I was so nervous, it was not a good look.
- 32:58No.
- 32:58And then by the end of the night, I'd be warmed up.
- 33:01Wanna go for, and you're, I know, right?
- 33:02And then it's like the night is over.
- 33:03I know.
- 33:03It would take you a while.
- 33:04And then, do you remember that night we went to Rosedale Farms?
- 33:06And I couldn't eat my dinner.
- 33:08Nope.
- 33:08I was so miserable.
- 33:09And then we went out after, and then we were, and then were like sitting at the barn.
- 33:13Our husbands were like, let's time to go.
- 33:16They're kicking us out.
- 33:16What was I drinking?
- 33:17A Polish spritzer.
- 33:18You were, which is vodka and wine.
- 33:20Yep.
- 33:21And I was like, I feel great now.
- 33:24That's all it took.
- 33:25It's time to go home.
- 33:26So what are the, so what are some of the, I guess to explain in case anybody doesn't know what's going through your mind when you're in that zone.
- 33:34What are some of the red flags?
- 33:35What's happening?
- 33:36What is making you anxious?
- 33:38I guess for me, I was afraid I was gonna get sick and I was stuck.
- 33:43I always wanna know where the exit is.
- 33:45Okay.
- 33:45I want it to have an exit.
- 33:46You need exit plan.
- 33:47Exit.
- 33:47I need an exit plan.
- 33:48Yeah.
- 33:48Okay.
- 33:48And I love an exit plan.
- 33:50I think everybody loves an exit plan.
- 33:51Yes, for sure.
- 33:53Like this is just an example.
- 33:55My kids have field day every year.
- 33:57And they take a bus to field day and I chaperone it every year, but I won't take the bus.
- 34:03I like to drive my car because I like to have an exit strategy and my kids like that.
- 34:08My car is there in case they have to leave too.
- 34:10I just think there's something about there's what if, so if something happens, there's control, I can just get out.
- 34:16Yep.
- 34:17Yep.
- 34:17I like to have an exit strategy.
- 34:18Mm-hmm.
- 34:19And having one makes me feel better.
- 34:21I know sometimes that's even with tough'cause we were just saying when you have a game plan and if you go with your spouse, obviously it's easier'cause it's the two of you deciding on something.
- 34:31But if you carpool, which is a smart decision you know, in case somebody else wants to have a drink or it gets harder when you have to involve other people because now there might be like two couples making a choice of like, when you wanna go, how long are we staying for?
- 34:44You're usually the carpool with, and I know that you'd be always be happy to leave off.
- 34:47We're like, we're out.
- 34:48I never have to, we're ready to go when you are.
- 34:49I never have to worry about that, but I guess some red flags for me.
- 34:54Yes.
- 34:54What about you, like thinking back?
- 34:56So again, I'm try, I'm thinking like of what would normally happen to me, like over the.
- 35:01Over my lifetime, I will like replay conversations over and over in my head.
- 35:06Oh, that's super common.
- 35:06That, that goes back to the oversharing, right?
- 35:08Where you're like, what did I say?
- 35:10And that's why when I've said I, if I don't drink too much, I at least have control over what's coming out of my mouth.
- 35:17But yeah.
- 35:17Replaying conversations.
- 35:19Did I overshare, did I talk over someone?
- 35:21Did I come across rude?
- 35:22What did I say?
- 35:23Was I talking too much about myself?
- 35:25Did I not ask them enough questions?
- 35:26Like all of those things.
- 35:27So funny that those are your fears because you are the last person that I think of when I think of somebody that monopolizes a conversation.
- 35:36Doesn't ask questions.
- 35:38Yeah.
- 35:38Until I'm too dirty.
- 35:39Martinis overs shares that, and then I am the loudest my Italian side comes out.
- 35:44You don't know who I am anymore.
- 35:45It's like I've seen you in that state and I've never once said, God, Christina needs to lay off off the olives.
- 35:51I think you get loud.
- 35:52Think it's just loudness.
- 35:53Like my.
- 35:54The OC goes up, the voice, the octave level of my voice goes up like 20 times and I'm shouting a story.
- 36:00That's what it,'cause it's like I, I must have like earmuffs over my ears and I don't realize how loud I can be.
- 36:05I'm also notorious for changing my outfit like six times before I leave the house.
- 36:12Unless I am set on something and I've also as I've gotten a little bit older, I used to be someone who could like mentally put an outfit together.
- 36:22Okay, I'm gonna wear this.
- 36:23You don't have space for that in your brain anymore.
- 36:24It's not only that I don't have, I'm not as organized.
- 36:28But it's also that I can't just wiggle myself into an outfit and it looks exactly how I imagined it to look.
- 36:35So I feel like now I'm like, I need to try the outfit on.
- 36:38I need to know what I'm pairing it with.
- 36:40Am I wearing tights?
- 36:41Where's the accessories?
- 36:42What am I doing?
- 36:42Because sometimes I might say, oh, I wanna wear that dress to the holiday party, but I don't put the full thing together.
- 36:48You know what I mean?
- 36:49So then I'm like, I get the dress on.
- 36:50I'm like, wait a minute, I don't like this with tights.
- 36:52I don't like this with the shoes that I was thinking of.
- 36:55And so I, it's better to be prepared because I get So do you do a try-on a couple days?
- 36:59Now I have to in advance.
- 37:00Yes.
- 37:01So since this is really you realm Yeah.
- 37:03What do you practice and what.
- 37:05Do you not practice, but you would recommend somebody do so they're not in this situation of ripping off six outfits, five minutes before it's time to leave, and then you're late for a party and then you're going into a party flustered, and then your husband's let's go.
- 37:19And I'm speaking to this because this happens every time we go out.
- 37:22I'm sure.
- 37:22So a hundred percent try on, start to finish, like full start to finish the whole look.
- 37:29So not just, yeah, not especially in the winter.
- 37:31I feel like when it's the summer and you can throw on a dress and some sandals, it's okay, that's it.
- 37:36But when you're in, especially when you're in the cold weather, it's you need to know what you're doing, like from start to finish.
- 37:41So what is the outfit?
- 37:42Are you wearing tights?
- 37:44Do your tights have a run in them?
- 37:46Are you gonna put them on and there's a run in them?
- 37:48Do you need like Spanx with an outfit?
- 37:50Do you need I think through all those things because that's what happens to me is that I'll throw something on, wait, now I need to.
- 37:55I didn't think about that.
- 37:56So now I need this and go running for it.
- 37:59And bare legs look really cute with a pump.
- 38:01I personally don't love how tights look with certain shoes.
- 38:04Yes.
- 38:05That's what happens to me.
- 38:06So I'll go to I won't, I like a tight poop, but I don't like a tight with a pump.
- 38:09I don't know why.
- 38:10Or I'll be like, oh, I wanted my tights.
- 38:12This would've looked better with a sheer tight and not an opaque tight.
- 38:16And so I won't, that I end up having more struggles.
- 38:20In the wintertime because there's so many more variables.
- 38:23What jacket are you wearing with this?
- 38:25You need something for outerwear.
- 38:27Do you need, it's it, there's just so many more things.
- 38:29And so to avoid the scramble, which then puts me in a bad mental space ahead of going somewhere.
- 38:36Because if I'm flustered and I'm running out the door and I'm stressed, and if you have kids and you have, you're trying to get them situated so that you could go to a holiday event, it's like just adds about 25 layers.
- 38:46So I think start to finish having the look done.
- 38:50This is what I'm wearing.
- 38:52Everything's together.
- 38:53You have everything out.
- 38:54Your accessories, everything's good to go.
- 38:57That has helped me a ton.
- 38:59Yeah.
- 38:59'cause I will end up changing my mind.
- 39:00I thought I was gonna wear this with tights.
- 39:02Now I don't like it with tights.
- 39:04I don't like this.
- 39:04So now I wanna scrap the whole idea.
- 39:07What happened to me at the gala was I went to put on that dress which was Stu.
- 39:11I loved my dress by the way.
- 39:13Dress I, my.
- 39:13Stunning.
- 39:14I will give a shout out to Lady Black Tie because that's where I got the dress from and they have amazing, any sort of event dresses and they have gala type dresses, gala dresses, but even if you have holiday parties, that's where I ended up getting that.
- 39:25And I thought it was extremely affordable for how intricate that dress was.
- 39:30But I went to go put that dress on and when I tried it on, I actually had to send it back and then I got a different size.
- 39:37And so when I tried it back on, I didn't do the whole thing right because I was just like, oh, okay.
- 39:42I put it back on.
- 39:43I go, okay, is much better fit.
- 39:44Oh, this 20 minutes before we have to leave and come pick you up.
- 39:49Raja comes in and I'm like, I need you to tie this dress like there's a corset back here.
- 39:54He's like, I have to lace.
- 39:56The thing, the string through the corset.
- 39:59Oh, the first one came laced.
- 40:01The first one came laced.
- 40:02The second one didn't come laced.
- 40:04So I was like, wait a minute.
- 40:05What?
- 40:06So so now you're Lady Christina.
- 40:07Now I'm Lady Christina.
- 40:09He's tying me up like I freaking rose duplicator from Titanic, like in the back when we have already supposed to be in the car to come pick you up and Yeah, except in the Titanic you had a hands made or whatever they're called helping six people helping.
- 40:22So I'm literally, so like that stressed me out, like not being prepared ahead of time and not.
- 40:28So you have to think through what's going to get you out the door the fastest.
- 40:32'cause I think that setting the stage early on in the night, like you're leaving calm, you're not leaving frazzled, you're not leaving, doubting what you're doing.
- 40:41Am I wearing the right thing?
- 40:43Because.
- 40:44It's setting myself up for success for the evening.
- 40:46So as silly as that sounds.
- 40:48All right.
- 40:48So other tips under the umbrella of some preparation.
- 40:51So you're gonna prepare your outfit.
- 40:53You're gonna prepare your outfit.
- 40:54Outfit, and it's gonna put you in the car.
- 40:55Good to go in a good mood.
- 40:56Good to go.
- 40:57I also think that what sort of has been a red flag for me in social situations is like feeling like people are closer than maybe you like feeling like a little bit of an outsider.
- 41:08If you're going somewhere and it's group setting and you're like, okay, I don't really know where to go here.
- 41:15Yeah.
- 41:15Where's my place here?
- 41:15Yeah.
- 41:16Where's my place here?
- 41:16If you're going and there's already like a more established group and you feel a little bit more like the outsider, this has happened to me where I've known the host pretty well.
- 41:25So the host would be your latch, but not the rest of the attendees.
- 41:28Yeah.
- 41:28Like not the rest of the group.
- 41:30And so that's happened to me before.
- 41:32So what do you do in that situation?
- 41:34I think that luckily I have been introduced, like you're saying, somebody kind of acts as the, oh, by the way, do you know somebody else?
- 41:41Like luckily I think it's been done for me.
- 41:43But that's why I really appreciated your tip before of you doing that to somebody else.
- 41:47The connector.
- 41:48Yeah.
- 41:48And I also just think you have to put yourself out there and start conversations.
- 41:54Right?
- 41:54So this can go back to like our conversation starters, like asking people questions and ask people questions, slipping in and then getting into a conversation.
- 42:00And you don't need to take over a conversation.
- 42:02No, listen, you need to just be a participant.
- 42:04Listen, don't.
- 42:05Don't, this is not your place to take over.
- 42:08And to overshare.
- 42:09And to overs shine.
- 42:10And to now be the dot connector, right?
- 42:12These situations are your time to listen.
- 42:15You never know what you're gonna hear, right?
- 42:17And if you're at a party and the host is your person and you can't be, you can't latch onto that person that night, you can help that person in the kitchen and the coat room, whatever.
- 42:25But then for the rest of the night, if you're there with your spouse, have a date night, you have to, yeah, have a date night with your spouse.
- 42:31Go stand at a cocktail table and have a drink and talk to your husband.
- 42:33I like that too, because also during the holiday season.
- 42:37If you guys are busy and you don't have a lot of time together and you're going to these parties together.
- 42:41Yeah.
- 42:41Maybe you're sharing space together, but you're not really connecting with them.
- 42:44That's a good thing.
- 42:45So just use the time to hang with your spouse.
- 42:47With your spouse or whoever you came with.
- 42:49Or whoever you came with.
- 42:50Yeah.
- 42:50Because sometimes when I go to parties with you or events with you, my very close friend, I don't even end up talking to you during the night.
- 42:56Yeah.
- 42:56'cause you end up getting, I know.
- 42:57Pulled apart.
- 42:58Yeah.
- 42:58And you're talking to strangers and you're trying to be polite and you're trying not to look too cliquey.
- 43:02Oh, I don't wanna just show up with Christina.
- 43:04Yep.
- 43:05I know.
- 43:05And it's just always the two of us.
- 43:05So you try to, it happens to us a lot.
- 43:07Little bit.
- 43:08Go places we don't end up.
- 43:09I barely end up even talking to you.
- 43:10I know.
- 43:11That's what always happens.
- 43:11I think it happens a lot'cause you try not to be super cliquey.
- 43:15And then I'm like, Hey, haven't you end up not even talking to the people who you're closest to and then this probably doesn't happen to you, but I would.
- 43:23Worry that I'm not fun enough.
- 43:25And I would worry that like I appeared too anxious, like I appeared too down, or I appeared too anxious.
- 43:32This is something that's been happening to me more recently than like back in the day, or like something that I've always dealt with.
- 43:37Do you think you've labored labeled yourself as an anxious person?
- 43:40Yes.
- 43:40And you've given yourself that title?
- 43:41Yes, because I know the inner workings of my mind, and I know that I can get to be anxious.
- 43:47And again, especially if I arrived flustered for any reason, I feel like I wear my emotions on my sleeve.
- 43:55And I think I, I don't think I do a very good job of hiding when I am not feeling my best.
- 44:01So I always worry.
- 44:02Did that come across like bitchy?
- 44:04Did that come across I was uncomfortable, like I don't want it to look like it's outward.
- 44:09Like somebody else was like, Ooh, I don't like how she came across.
- 44:13So I worry about that.
- 44:14That's definitely something that I worry about.
- 44:16So you are this invisible person?
- 44:17Yes.
- 44:18You are.
- 44:19I need to remind myself that I'm invisible.
- 44:21No, you are her.
- 44:22This is, you are her.
- 44:23Yeah.
- 44:23This is it.
- 44:23This is the, you are the guest that goes to the party and has these worries.
- 44:27Yep.
- 44:27These like six main worries.
- 44:29You have them.
- 44:29You're worried that you're gonna show up flustered, you're gonna worry that there's a wardrobe malfunction, or somebody's gonna worry that it wasn't the right outfit.
- 44:37You're worrying that you're oversharing, you're worried that you're not enough fun.
- 44:40I'm the invisible guest.
- 44:40You are the invisible guest.
- 44:43Oh my God.
- 44:43So I've learned a lot and I'm the host that would've never guessed any of those things.
- 44:48No.
- 44:48Yeah.
- 44:48And is just so happy to have you in my house.
- 44:50There you go.
- 44:50And I'm worried that the shoes that you're wearing are gonna leave a scuff mark on my ground.
- 44:55Yeah.
- 44:55Not you specifically.
- 44:57Yes.
- 44:57Just in general.
- 44:58Yeah.
- 44:58Those are my worries.
- 44:59Yep.
- 45:00Isn't that funny?
- 45:00Yes, it is so funny.
- 45:01So they're all valid.
- 45:03All of your worries are valid and so are yours.
- 45:05Yep.
- 45:05Because I would be anxious about that too.
- 45:09But I guess my point is that.
- 45:13I'm not, I would never be so focused on one guest.
- 45:16In one person.
- 45:17And I've never left a party where I've been with you and gotten in a Carmen oh, Christina seemed like sh, I don't know.
- 45:22Her outfit didn't look like it came together tonight.
- 45:25And her, and she wasn't herself right.
- 45:28Yeah, I know.
- 45:29I know.
- 45:29But you're not your best self at parties, you feel like, because of these things.
- 45:32Things.
- 45:32No, not all the time.
- 45:33I don't think so.
- 45:34No.
- 45:34Not all the time.
- 45:35I am much better in a smaller, intimate, I do like a group, but I like a group.
- 45:40I like people that I know, I like people that I trust.
- 45:43I like people who I feel connected with and I, and don't make me feel judged.
- 45:50I'm sure like everybody does, like I'm sure nobody likes to be around people where you don't feel like your best self, but.
- 45:57We all have things to do and places to go, people to see, and you just, yeah.
- 46:01I like the invisible guest theory, and I think it's just important to remember that a lot of people are probably feeling how you are too.
- 46:08This is very common right now.
- 46:12How do you buy into this theory?
- 46:14Because I do feel like if you can believe it, if you can truly believe it, it'll make these events feel a little bit more tolerable.
- 46:21Yeah.
- 46:21It's just a mental thing you have to prep and I like, I think that sometimes even for me, just having a phrase that I repeat to myself or just like a mantra, if you will, but I think that I'm gonna say to myself, I'm an invisible guest.
- 46:36You, we talked about this last week, how a lot of things we do is performance based.
- 46:40Yeah.
- 46:41Yeah.
- 46:41When you're going to an event, do you feel like you're performing that night?
- 46:43Yeah, of course.
- 46:45And.
- 46:46I don't know.
- 46:47Ha, that sort of has a little bit of pressure.
- 46:49Maybe you need to perform as the invisible person.
- 46:51I need to perform as an invisible person, it's such a crazy time of year where you're, there's so much packed in to a short amount of time, usually five or six weeks.
- 47:00And.
- 47:01You do a lot, but do you really do a lot?
- 47:04So I think I'm gonna have a holiday party in January when it's, when I know when it's boring.
- 47:08I know.
- 47:08And there's nothing.
- 47:09That's why I always say, and then everybody hibernates and then we don't see everybody for like when everybody's sat and broke in January.
- 47:13Every really long time I'm gonna have a party then I love it.
- 47:16There you go.
- 47:16But I think it's important to remember, tea just reminded me you don't have to perform, you don't have to be perfect.
- 47:24These are like things I have to say to myself.
- 47:26You don't have to impress the strangers.
- 47:29You don't, you have to try to keep it authentic.
- 47:31Take the pressure off everybody's feeling the same.
- 47:33I didn't mean to task you with more things.
- 47:36Come on, you can do.
- 47:36All I have, I go through my day, just reciting mantras to myself to just try to chill the F out.
- 47:42But that's fine.
- 47:43We need to like train, chat, GPT to talk to you and be like, chill.
- 47:48I'm telling you that chat GPT one day is gonna be like, I'm not your paid therapist, please.
- 47:55Go get help, go get some real help.
- 48:00A.
- 48:00Switching gears and closing out.
- 48:01Yes.
- 48:01What is your pink spotlight this week?
- 48:03Okay.
- 48:03My pink spotlight is, I got a Brazilian blowout mm-hmm.
- 48:08by Sam.
- 48:08It looks great Two weeks ago.
- 48:09Hair and I am shiny, is so obsessed with it.
- 48:12I love it so much.
- 48:13I love having my hair done and love when it looks is a repeat.
- 48:16I think you've done this pink spotlight before but I love that it's it's so important to me that I just love it.
- 48:21Or you've given it a plug before, at least, but I just love it so much.
- 48:26So the Brazilian blowout, I think it takes her now less than two hours.
- 48:31She's really.
- 48:33Really fast and it cuts the drying time down, like more than half, like my hair can air dry.
- 48:39And then I've been using the shark.
- 48:40And I just dry it.
- 48:42Yep.
- 48:42And it takes all the frizz out of it.
- 48:43I have curly hair.
- 48:44It takes a lot of the curl out of it.
- 48:46I guess it's a a protein layer around your hair and eliminates frizz.
- 48:49And it's.
- 48:50Amazing.
- 48:51And it's so glossy.
- 48:52It's it looks so shiny, it's so glossy.
- 48:54I love it so much.
- 48:55It makes me so happy.
- 48:56And I think it's a good investment.
- 48:58That's a good hack.
- 48:58Yeah.
- 48:59And it's a good hack.
- 49:00Yeah.
- 49:00I really like it a lot.
- 49:00But I talked to Sam and she's gonna do a giveaway.
- 49:03I love it.
- 49:03So she's gonna do two blowouts.
- 49:05Oh my goodness, Sam.
- 49:06So all of the girls there are great.
- 49:09Yep.
- 49:09So we'll set this up in the IG for you.
- 49:11So we'll have you comment below and then we'll Perfect.
- 49:14Coordinate with you who's gonna do the blowout?
- 49:16Oh, I love that.
- 49:17I, that's one of my favorite things is a wash and blow dry.
- 49:20So I wanted to share one of my favorite things.
- 49:23Love it with our listeners.
- 49:24Oh, I love wash and blow dry.
- 49:25And the last time we did a blow dry giveaway, we had.
- 49:28So many people put in for it.
- 49:30So I know it's one of your favorite things too.
- 49:31Okay.
- 49:31Amazing.
- 49:32That is gonna be so exciting.
- 49:33And thank you to Sam.
- 49:34That is paint love blend on Instagram.
- 49:36She does my hair too.
- 49:36That's our girl.
- 49:37Yeah.
- 49:38And Shawnee did my blowout yesterday.
- 49:40I got my hair done and it, I haven't touched it.
- 49:42I didn't even put a brush.
- 49:43I actually, I went in after you because I went in and they were, she was like, can we not just time you guys?
- 49:48I'm like, I sit across from her all the time.
- 49:50It's totally fine.
- 49:51It's not like I don't get to see you, but it was funny.
- 49:53Oh, I wish I had known that.
- 49:53I know.
- 49:54I, we just we're always on the same schedule, yeah.
- 49:56We're always going a day or two apart.
- 49:58And that was the, I was back there later at noon'cause I had physical therapy next door'cause I hurt my back while we were away.
- 50:04So I was like, I feel like I spent the whole day in that plaza.
- 50:06Yeah, I know.
- 50:08So you were probably right next door to me.
- 50:09Okay.
- 50:10That's great.
- 50:10That is so exciting.
- 50:11Okay guys, look out for that giveaway.
- 50:12'cause that's gonna be fun for all of our CT girls or anybody who is close by.
- 50:15Make willing to make the drive.
- 50:17Yeah.
- 50:17But mine is actually a repeat too and it's, isn't that funny?
- 50:21Guys, we're like 40 something episodes in, so we're probably gonna have to start repeating our pink spotlights because, we only have so many favorite things about you not being authentic.
- 50:30Also, but they're au I was just gonna say, yeah they're authentic to us.
- 50:32So mine, again, I've shared these before, but they are the bows little, like EarPods.
- 50:39Actually, guys, she does wear these, I wear these all the time.
- 50:41I've seen her come into my house with them on, yeah, she didn't lie.
- 50:44I am not, she does keep them clipped to her ear.
- 50:46I'm not lying.
- 50:47They look like ear jewelry.
- 50:48They do.
- 50:49So they literally look like earrings.
- 50:50So these are, so if you have any trouble with your AirPods or I used these, like when I was explaining them last time, I was saying that they're.
- 50:58They do.
- 50:59So these do not drown out any noise.
- 51:02So these are not something that you would wear if you're like on a flight somewhere or something, where you want to be immersed in whatever you're doing.
- 51:10These are a little bit more practical for the every day.
- 51:14So I wear these, but'cause I'm somebody that wears only one AirPod.
- 51:17Yes.
- 51:18So I have one ear so that you have one ear for the world and one ear for what I'm doing because somebody's always calling mom or I need you.
- 51:25Or if I'm on a walk, I'm worried that a bear is coming or a car.
- 51:29If you, so if you need to be aware of your surroundings for any reason and you find yourself only using one AirPod.
- 51:36And sometimes that could get annoying, especially when you're like listening to something, then you not, because then I end up losing one.
- 51:40You end up losing one.
- 51:41Or sometimes like things are made for two, like they're, like you only hear one part of the song or one part of whatever.
- 51:48So yeah, you're not getting the full audio experience with the AirPods in one ear.
- 51:53So these are like an ear jewelry.
- 51:55So you literally clip them into your ear and they sit here.
- 51:59So I love that.
- 52:00They're also not in your ear canal.
- 52:02I love those.
- 52:03Like they're Bob, they do not hurt at all.
- 52:05I can wear these all day.
- 52:06And I really mean that where you don't get fatigued, like your ear doesn't get sore or anything.
- 52:11So they're just they're just so comfortable.
- 52:13I'm like showing it on.
- 52:14I wanna get those.
- 52:16They are phenomenal.
- 52:17So I can wear both of them, but I can also have a conversation.
- 52:21Yeah.
- 52:21So if I was like, again, listening to something, sometimes I'm like listening to our podcast or I'm listening to something, I'm trying to edit something.
- 52:27But like I don't need to be immersed where it's like nobody can get ahold of me.
- 52:31If they need me or if I was on a walk or somewhere like that.
- 52:35Do they have any deals for those Right now?
- 52:37They do.
- 52:37So what I found was sometimes they run promotions and I will definitely keep you guys posted.
- 52:42I always share them on my page when they're on an actual promotion.
- 52:45But I found a refurbished pair from Bose.
- 52:48They have a ton of them for the holidays and they're half off.
- 52:51So they go from$300 to one 50 refurbished, like fully, like with a And what is that on Bose.
- 52:57On Bow on the direct website.
- 52:59On the direct website, they have refurbish options.
- 53:01So I'm gonna link that in the show notes because they had them available for one 50.
- 53:06I'm literally looking it up right now as we talk.
- 53:08Yep.
- 53:08I want them And they are so comfortable.
- 53:11Incredible.
- 53:11The sound quality is amazing.
- 53:13The charge is like the battery life is amazing on them.
- 53:17They're like easy to hook up.
- 53:18Like I have just had, I'm a Bose girl, I always say that.
- 53:21Love the brand so much.
- 53:22I really don't stray from them, but Oh yeah.
- 53:24They have a whole refurbished section on their website.
- 53:27Yes.
- 53:28Yeah.
- 53:28So like way to save some money.
- 53:29And this would be such a good gift.
- 53:31Like my husband has them too, like where we just love them so much and then obviously they have the other ones that aren't the outer ear.
- 53:39'cause this is like an outer ear style.
- 53:40They have the inner ear style as well, if that is your thing.
- 53:43No, I like the outer ear style.
- 53:45And they have a lot of colors on here.
- 53:46Yeah.
- 53:46They really, I really can't say enough.
- 53:49Like I feel like this is like a very unique thing that it's outer ear, but the sound quality is impeccable.
- 53:55So I love this because, oh my, I'm copying you.
- 53:57I'm gonna get a pair for Joseph for Christmas because he's been wearing my air budds.
- 54:02Yeah.
- 54:02My air pods all the time.
- 54:03And then he gets his disgusting ear wax in.
- 54:05Yes.
- 54:06So gross.
- 54:06This is, this does not go in, so it does not, it, they don't get gross.
- 54:10They don't need to really be cleaned or anything.
- 54:12Like it's Yeah, I do agree.
- 54:13Like the air budds could get so like skeevy and nasty.
- 54:16So like that No, this is so great.
- 54:18It looks like I'm wearing like a big ear cuff.
- 54:20Yeah.
- 54:20I like, I love them so much.
- 54:21Okay.
- 54:22I'm glad that you share that.
- 54:22So I cannot recommend them enough.
- 54:24Like literally I share them every chance I get'cause they are so fun.
- 54:27And then I always share when they are on deal.
- 54:28So if you don't follow me, follow me.
- 54:30And then I'll, I always share them on my stories when they're on sale.
- 54:34Yay.
- 54:35Yeah.
- 54:35So thanks girls again.
- 54:37We have some guests lined up for the end of the year, and t and I are gonna be recording our little hearts away for the next couple of weeks because we're powering through the holidays.
- 54:47We're gonna have episodes going live throughout the holiday season.
- 54:50No, we don't want the holidays to drop out because I always find that during the hall, like after Christmas.
- 54:55I have time where I wanna listen to something meet, because I'm like taking on vacation down tree, or it's a little bit more quiet or it's, I'm driving in the car.
- 55:03Yeah.
- 55:03Enjoy your sink going on vacation.
- 55:04And I always hate that my, my favorite podcasts are Take a break, are down for two weeks.
- 55:09No.
- 55:09So we, you feel the same way.
- 55:11So we don't want that for our listeners.
- 55:13Yeah.
- 55:13We're powering through the holidays.
- 55:15You guys can happily listen to us, happily on your little bow.
- 55:18Keep, keep listening to us throughout the holiday season.
- 55:21But we have some really fun guests lined up that are gonna be for the rest of the month.
- 55:24We convinced our moms to come on.
- 55:26Yes.
- 55:26Yep.
- 55:26Hopefully our moms are gonna be on an episode soon and we have lots of fun guests, we have lots of fun guests coming up and then other conversations.
- 55:33And if there's anything that you guys wanna hear, just let us know and we will be back with you next week.
- 55:37So have a great week.
- 55:38Go be an invisible guest.
- 55:39Yes.
- 55:40Enjoy your holiday season.
- 55:41Bye.
- 55:42Bye.