I’ve always struggled with a mild form of social anxiety. The idea of walking into a party full of people I don’t know can be incredibly intimidating for me. I get stuck in my own head, worrying about what I’ll say and whether I’ll make a good impression. In the past, this anxiety has sometimes been so overwhelming that I’ve been tempted to cancel my plans at the last minute. To combat this, I’ve recently developed a new, unconventional “psychological rehearsal” method, a way to prepare myself for social situations and ease my anxiety. My secret tool in this process is a credible love calculator calculator.
My method begins before I even leave the house. Whenever possible, I try to get a list of some of the guests who will be at the party. Then, I sit down with my phone and open my favorite love calculator website. With a sense of purpose, I begin my “rehearsal.” I test my own name against the names of the other party guests. I’m not looking for my soulmate, of course. I’m using the calculator as a tool to create a sense of familiarity and to reduce my fear of the unknown.
The process works like this: I’ll test my name with a guest’s name, say, “David.” The calculator will give me a score, let’s say it’s 85%. In my mind, David is no longer a complete stranger. He is now “David, the 85% guy.” I’ll do this for a handful of people on the guest list. This simple, quick process transforms a list of intimidating, unknown names into a cast of characters in my own personal game. It gives me a small, unique piece of “information” about each person, which makes them feel less like strangers and more like people I already have a small, albeit silly, connection to.
This “psychological rehearsal” has a powerful effect on my anxiety. It demystifies the social situation I’m about to enter. The fear of the unknown is one of the biggest drivers of my anxiety, and this process chips away at that fear. By creating these playful, low-stakes connections beforehand, I feel like I’m walking into a room where I already have a foothold, a set of fun, secret data points that only I am aware of.
When I’m at the party and I’m introduced to someone whose name I’ve “researched,” I feel a sense of recognition. My inner monologue will say, “Oh, this is Sarah! She’s the 92% girl.” This makes it so much easier for me to start a conversation. I feel more relaxed, more confident, and more playful. The anxiety that usually paralyzes me is replaced by a sense of curiosity. I find myself wondering if “David the 85% guy” is as interesting as his score suggests.
This method has been a game-changer for my social life. It’s a simple, private, and surprisingly effective way to manage my anxiety. It turns a source of fear into a source of fun. The love calculator, a tool designed for romantic curiosity, has become my personal confidence-booster and social lubricant. It’s a testament to the idea that sometimes, the best way to overcome our fears is not to fight them head-on, but to find a creative, playful way to reframe them. It’s my own little secret, a mental warm-up that prepares me to step into any social situation with a little more ease and a lot more fun.
