Dealing With Night Out Nerves
Hello!
This is one of those unplanned blogs where I have a good 3 topics planned but the timing is wrong, or they haven't been photographed yet etc... So, I tried to have a think about what's relevant to me right now. And what is that? Balls and parties. I was lucky enough to attend a ball at The Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh (very fancy) on Saturday with the Opera Society, and have a Sports Ball this evening (or yesterday evening as this is published on Friday). There will also be a couple of birthday parties and trampolining socials coming up over the next few weeks. It doesn't sound like much to complain about but actually, I can get very anxious about black tie events, parties, and nights out, and I'm sure I'm not alone. So, if you get nervous about these things too, or just want to know what goes through my head for these events, then this one's for you.
It's a horrible feeling. You know you have this event on and , if you're anything like me, you will have planned your outfit, your hair, and makeup, there's probably excitement on social media about it, and all you can think of is how much of a disaster it will be. In my experience, the worries I've had before a night out have never actually happened. With the Opera Ball, I was worried that I wouldn't look right, or no-one would speak to me, or I'd have a panic attack, or something else would go wrong. I actually had a lovely time and the one thing that did go wrong was someone treading on my foot and giving me a very impressive bruise (I'll feature it because it's literally shaped like the heel of a shoe!), which was something I hadn't even considered.
Apart from that, it was fine. The food was fine, I spent a lot of time with my friend Matthew (pictured above), there were no particularly horrific photos, my hair stayed in place, as did my makeup. I didn't get too drunk and nobody minded, and I had a great time dancing to old school jazz!
Definitely not worth the panic beforehand.
I think the first thing I would advise if you're feeling nervous is to try on your outfit (if it's black tie) a few days before the event. That way, you can deal with any changes you need to make and completely reduce the chances of a meltdown on the day. I can 100% vouch for this as I decided to try on my opera dress a couple of days beforehand with the bra I'd been planning to wear and it just didn't work. The bra didn't fit properly so I had to buy a new one. I'm so glad I did because I could go to the event and not even think about what I was wearing. Honestly guys, wear comfortable underwear that fits. It's one of the best ways to look and feel comfortable.
The next thing I would advise is to arrange to go with someone you know, or tag along with someone until you find your friends. The worst thing to do if you're nervous is to turn up to a big event alone. That being said, make sure you tell someone that you're feeling nervous about the event so you know you have someone to talk to if you're starting to panic. In the same way, plan how you're getting home. Take some emergency cash and make sure your phone is charged before you leave the house. And as a general rule, let someone know (even by text) if you're leaving; that way, everyone has a good night.
Most importantly (in my opinion) is that you should never ever ever feel pressured to drink alcohol if you don't want to. I'm actually planning to do a whole separate post on this because there have been a few times when I haven't been able to drink because of my anxiety. If you do feel like you want to have a drink to show willing when you really would rather not get drunk, my advice would be to have maybe a small glass of wine or whatever right at the start so it's less likely to affect you the next day. But honestly, if you don't want to, don't. Tell people you don't want to. Pretend you're taking antibiotics if you get worried about the actual reason - I find that works quite well as an excuse. I'll be the first to admit that I've had some nights where I was horrendously drunk, and they were fun, but I have also had nights where I've just had two drinks (this year's Sport's Ball), or none at all, and I've had just as much fun. I promise that it doesn't make you boring if you choose not to drink, as long as you don't start lecturing other people!
Another piece of advice would be to take a little survival kit with you. I generally take some plasters, sanitary pads, and a lipstick in mine but I know people that take paracetamol, safety pins, and gum with them as their essentials. Work out what you personally would like to have should something go wrong and pop them in your night out bag/pocket. That way, you know you'll be prepared if something goes wrong.
Lastly, take a coat!!! I don't care what anyone says, being cold is miserable. You can always pop your coat in the cloakroom but don't be silly and risk hyperthermia for the sake of fashion. I also find that I feel far more anxious if I'm cold so it's really better to be warm.
Nights out and big events can be nerve racking but that's never stopped me from going. I've always found that I've had a good time once I'm there so if I can do it, you most definitely can!
I hope this was helpful. I just want to note that you can now follow me on Instagram @allinyourheadblog so do give that a follow if Instagram is your thing! And do hit the like button down below if you enjoyed this post.
Lots of Love,
Sarah xxx
