Social Anxiety and Handmade Jewelry

Throughout my life I have struggled immensely with social anxiety, especially after the lockdowns from the pandemic. At one point, this fear became so severe that I would make up excuses to miss school because I was so afraid of being called on in class or talking in front of others. I spent lots of time studying before lectures even started so I could be confident in my answers and lessen this anxiety. Social anxiety restricted virtually every action and guided every decision I did. 

In 2023, I picked up jewelry-making initially as a hobby. Unfortunately, I started to use this hobby as an excuse to stay at home and an unhealthy way for me to escape from my anxiety. If you would have told me that I would be selling those same pieces at outdoor markets and love connecting with hundreds of people at these events a year later, the past-me would have fainted. I want to take action and use my passion for jewelry to help people feel confident in themselves.

I didn't even know that the immense fear I had about how people perceived me was called social anxiety, let alone how to get support to overcome it. I want to do anything I can to help spread awareness about mental health which is why I happily donate 50% of my proceeds from my jewelry business to ADAA. 

Discover Elaine's handmade jewelry on instagram: @elainamakesjewelry and purchase online via Depop at @elainamakesjewelry

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