I have this fitness class on Friday mornings that I really love. The instructor has great energy and she always remembers my name. I'm not the only one who loves that class. Most of it is made up of this group of women who I think have been going together for years and they seem like so much fun. Before class starts, they set up their equipment, laughing and talking together. But I find that time before class very awkward. I just stand there, by myself. And I've made a few efforts to be friendly, but they were not interested. And the less success I had at connecting, the more anxious I got about it. I felt like I stood out in the class. I almost stopped going to a class I genuinely loved, because of those five minutes of social discomfort. But I didn't stop. I still go. Now I just bring my phone and pretend I'm looking at something fascinating. I suspect a lot of you know exactly what that kind of social anxiety feels like. It's that mix of wanting to belong and feeling invisible at the same time. And when we struggle socially during the day, whether it's an awkward conversation, feeling left out in a group, or dreading an upcoming social event, our minds often carry that stress straight into the bedroom with us. We replay conversations, analyzing every word we said or didn't say. We imagine worst-case scenarios for tomorrow's meeting or social gathering. Our bodies hold onto that tension, that hyper-vigilance, making it nearly impossible for our nervous systems to settle into that calm state sleep requires. Social anxiety doesn't just keep us awake through racing thoughts. It creates physical tension in our bodies. The knot in the stomach, the rapid heartbeat we felt during a difficult social interaction can linger for hours. Sometimes keeping us tossing and turning long after the day is done. Our fight-or-flight system designed to protect us from social rejection often stays activated well past its usefulness. Tonight's episode is designed to help you release both the mental replaying and the physical tension that social stress creates. We're going to guide your nervous system back to calm, teach you techniques you can use both for sleep and real social situations, and program your subconscious mind to approach social interactions with greater ease and confidence.This episode uses gentle hypnotherapy techniques to help ease social anxiety and guide you towards sleep. Hypnotherapy may sound intimidating, but it's really just deep relaxation with positive suggestions. There's nothing mysterious or scary.And that said, it's important that you're somewhere completely safe where you can fall asleep. So if you're driving or doing anything that requires alertness, please save this episode for later. And if this episode helps you sleep better or feel more at ease socially, I would be very grateful if you could follow the show or leave a review.Following ensures you'll never miss an episode when you need it most. Here's something that might surprise you. Social anxiety is incredibly common. Research shows that about one in eight people will experience social anxiety at some point in their lives. And many more will have milder forms of social worry. So if you're lying here tonight replaying social interaction or dreading tomorrow's meeting, you are definitely not alone. It simply means you're human and you care about how you connect with others. The good news is that both social anxiety and sleep problems respond beautifully to the same types of gentle interventions. When we teach our nervous system to relax deeply, when we practice feeling calm, and when we give our subconscious positive patterns to work on during sleep, we can create real change.So let's begin by focusing on something you always have with you. Your breathing. Breathing is one of the most powerful tools we have for calming our nervous system. And here's why. When we're socially anxious, our breathing naturally becomes shallow and rapid, which actually signals to our brain that we're in danger. But when we deliberately slow down, we send the opposite message that we're safe and can relax.The technique I'm about to teach you works beautifully for sleep, but you can also use it anytime you're feeling socially anxious. It's completely invisible to others, but incredibly effective for you. We're going to breathe in for a count of four, hold it gently for four, and then exhale for six counts. The longer exhale is key. It activates your body's natural relaxation response. Let's try this together now.Breathe in slowly. Two, three, four. Hold gently.Two, three, four. And exhale. Two, three, four, five, six.Perfect. Let's do that again. In for four, hold for four, and out for six.Nice work. Continue breathing this way as we allow your body to soften and release. Notice how your shoulders can simply drop down, letting go of any tension you've been carrying from the day. Social anxiety loves to live in our shoulders. They hunch up, trying to protect us, creating a shield around our heart. But you don't need that protection right now. Allow your shoulders to melt away from your ears, settling down into a position of comfort and ease. Let's move our attention to your jaw and face. When we're feeling socially anxious, we often clench our jaw without even realizing.Allow your jaw to soften now. Feel the muscles around your eyes releasing, those tiny muscles that tighten when we're hypervigilant, scanning for signs of judgment or rejection. Let your whole face become soft and peaceful. You are worthy of acceptance, exactly as you are. Now notice your chest and stomach area. Social anxiety often creates that familiar knot in your stomach, or makes our chest feel tight and restricted.With each slow exhale, imagine that knot loosening, dissolving. Your heart doesn't need to race tonight. It can be steadily and peacefully.Your stomach can be soft and relaxed, trusting that you are safe and cared for in this moment. Now I want you to pay very close attention to my words, and allow them to guide you exactly where you need to go. In a moment, I'm going to count down from 10 to 1. And with each number, you'll imagine yourself taking a step down, down into a deeper, more peaceful state of relaxation. Each step takes you further away from the day's worries, and closer to a place where positive change can happen naturally and easily. 10. You're taking that first step down, feeling yourself beginning to drift deeper.9. Another step down, your body becoming even heavier and more relaxed. 8. Stepping down further, your mind becoming quieter and more focused on my voice. 7. Deeper still, letting go of any remaining tension.6. Halfway down now, feeling wonderfully calm and peaceful. 5. Trusting this process completely. 4. Deeper and deeper, your subconscious mind opening and ready.3. Feeling so relaxed and comfortable. 2. One more step, nearly at that perfect state of peaceful focus. 1. You're there now, deeply relaxed.In this beautifully relaxed state, I want you to imagine yourself approaching a large building, something like a welcoming community center, or a beautiful hotel lobby. You're walking up to the entrance, and you notice there's a coat check area just inside the door, staffed by the kindest, most understanding attendant you've ever met. As you approach the coat check, you realize you're carrying something with you, your social anxiety. Take a moment to notice what this feels like in your imagination. For some people, social anxiety might feel like a heavy, scratchy sweater that's been weighing them down. Others might imagine it as a tangled ball of yarn, all knotted up with worry. Perhaps it feels like a dark, heavy coat that's been draped over your shoulders. Or maybe it's like carrying a bag full of stones. The gentle attendant at the coat check smiles warmly at you and extends their hands.I'll take very good care of this for you, they say softly. You don't need to carry this tonight. And so you hand over your social anxiety, whatever form it's taken, feeling immediate relief as it leaves your possession. Now, feeling wonderfully light and free, you step into the main space beyond the coat check. You're about to experience three different social situations, but this time, you'll move through them with complete ease. The first scenario unfolds in a comfortable reception room with soft lighting and the gentle murmur of conversation.You're walking into this space where people are already gathered in small groups, chatting and laughing together around cocktail tables. There's a beautiful spread of appetizers along one wall, and you can hear pleasant background music playing softly. In the past, this might have felt overwhelming, but notice how different you feel now.Your breathing is calm and steady. Your shoulders are relaxed. As you enter the room, you feel genuinely curious about the people around you, rather than worried about their judgment.You notice someone standing near the refreshment table who looks friendly and approachable. Without any of that familiar anxiety, you simply walk over and smile. This looks delicious, you say casually, gesturing to the food. And the conversation flows naturally from there. You're not rehearsing your words or analyzing their responses. You're simply present, genuinely interested in this person as a fellow human being.Notice how good this feels, this natural ease, this authentic connection. Now you move through a hallway lined with warm wood paneling and soft carpet beneath your feet, heading toward the second room. This space feels more formal. It's a conference room with a long polished table and comfortable chairs arranged around it. You can hear the speaker's voice and see people settling into their places. You take a seat and relax in it, feeling your body settle naturally.Everyone now is paying attention to the speaker as she asks for input. And there's that familiar pause as people glance around the room. In the past, your heart might have raced at the thought of speaking up. But notice how calm and centered you feel now. You have something valuable to contribute. You take a gentle breath, that same calming breath you learned earlier, and raise your hand. Your voice comes out clear and steady. You're not worried about sounding perfect or saying exactly the right thing. Instead, you're focused on sharing your genuine thoughts and being helpful to the group.As you speak, you notice people listening attentively. Nodding along. Some even smile in recognition of your point.And when you finish speaking, you feel satisfied and proud of yourself for contributing. This is what it feels like to trust yourself in group settings. Calm, authentic, and genuinely connected to others. After the meeting concludes, you walk down another corridor. This one with large windows letting in natural light. And you enter a third space, a more casual area that feels almost like a cozy living room or community center gathering space. There are comfortable couches and chairs arranged in small clusters, and people are milling about casually. Some holding coffee or tea. Others just standing and chatting in that relaxed way that happens when formal events wind down.Here you find yourself in that classic situation of needing to make small talk with someone you don't know well. And in the past, this might have felt like the most challenging situation of all. That unstructured social interaction with no clear purpose or agenda. But this time, there's no knot in your stomach. No racing thoughts about what to say. You simply smile at the person near you and make a genuine observation or ask a friendly question.I love your jacket. That color is beautiful on you. Or have you tried the coffee here? It smells amazing.Or what did you think of the presentation? The conversation feels easy and natural because you're not trying to impress anyone or prove anything. You're simply being kind and human. You notice the way afternoon light filters through the windows.How comfortable the chairs look. The pleasant hum of other conversations around you. If your conversation continues, wonderful.And if it doesn't, that's perfectly fine too. You realize that most people are just as focused on themselves as you usually are on yourself. They're not analyzing your every word or judging your social performance.And you feel a wonderful sense of freedom in this realization. As you stand there, feeling completely at ease in your own skin, you notice a doorway at the far end of this room. One that leads to a peaceful, quiet space where you can rest and allow all of these positive experiences to settle deeply into your subconscious mind.You walk toward that peaceful doorway, feeling a sense of deep satisfaction from the three interactions you've just experienced. As you step through, you find yourself suddenly back in your very own bedroom. Tucked in bed with your blankets around you.This is your safe space. Your sanctuary. Here, your subconscious mind can continue the beautiful work we've begun tonight. While you sleep, your mind will continue to practice these feelings of social ease and confidence. It will rehearse that natural, relaxed way of being with others. Strengthening those neural pathways that help you feel genuinely comfortable in social situations.You don't need to try to make this happen. Your subconscious knows exactly what to do. Just as your body knows how to heal a cut without your conscious direction, your mind knows how to integrate these positive social patterns while you rest.Each breath you take now carries you deeper into peaceful sleep and deeper into lasting change. Most people are focused on their own concerns, their own insecurities, and their own hopes for connection. Just like you, we're all part of the same human experience.All wanting to feel understood and accepted. There's such comfort in knowing this. You don't need to be perfect in social situations. You just need to be genuinely yourself. And that is always enough. Your body is completely relaxed now.Your mind is quiet and peaceful. And you're surrounded by safety and comfort. Sleep is coming naturally, effortlessly.Let go completely now. Trusting that you'll wake up feeling more confident, more at ease with yourself and others. You're beginning to drift now, floating in that beautiful space between waking and sleeping, where everything feels soft and dreamlike.Your thoughts are becoming distant like clouds drifting across the twilight sky. Your breath has found its own perfect rhythm, deep and regular. Each exhale carrying you closer to sleep.Feel the lovely darkness settling over you like the softest blanket, wrapping you in warmth and safety. Your body is completely loose now. Your arms heavy and still.Every muscle fiber releasing its hold on tension. This is the most natural thing in the world. This drifting, this floating, this beautiful dissolving into sleep.There's nowhere else you need to be. Nothing else you need to do. Just a gentle descent into dreams.This perfect letting go. Sleep now. Sleep deeply.Sleep well.