I’ve tried to rework my thoughts around going to networking events, and consistently stretch out of my comfort zone to go to them, but every time it’s my turn to share my elevator pitch, I feel the anxiety and fear in my body. My pulse quickens and my breathing gets shallow. My fight or flight response kicks in despite my persistent thought work around these events. I notice this happening and allow it, but the adrenaline of the whole experience leaves me feeling tired after the event.

I keep going to these events (sometimes multiple events a week), feeling the fear and doing it anyway, but then I start to burn out. Do you have any recommendations for how to maintain your energy and not burn out in these situations? Is it a matter of more thought work? Sometimes I feel like I just need to take a breather, rest from all of the discomfort, and replenish my energy. Perhaps I just need to allocate more comfort time to balance out the discomfort?

I know there’s going to be discomfort no matter what, but perhaps networking also isn’t the best method for me. I wonder if building my business online is a better fit because I need lots of alone time to recharge and be my best self.

How do you determine whether something is a fit for you or not? I don’t want to give up on something because it makes me uncomfortable, but I also want to utilize my strengths and preferences.