Annette,

Thank you for your advice. One reason I am sensitive to this issue is because I
am at a new job and I feel unsure of myself, but I know this should fade over
time. I had never really thought about the actual reason I sometimes feel
uncomfortable in relationships at work. I think a main source of my anxiety is
the fear of not fitting in. I also don't want my employer to think I don't mix
well into the company setting. I tend to get very self-conscious and freeze
up...especially in the mornings when there is a lot of hustle and bustle around
the office. The louder and busier it is, the more I think I should be up and
talking with others...even if my particular job has nothing to do with the
commotion. In the afternoons, when things slow down, I relax and feel more in
control.

I have some work to do on my opinion about what it means to be shy. When I
was growing up it was considered good to be nice, quite and polite. Now that I
am an adult in the workforce it is considered a positive to be outspoken and
assertive. Now I feel I must adapt to this corporate culture in order to
succeed, and this is where my problem lies.

It relieves a lot of my anxiety to know that I am not the only one who has had
concerns about relationships at the workplace. None of my friends seem to
have any trouble with this and I was beginning to wonder if I was the only one
who did.

Infp1234