I've become really interested in the power of language, and how often the word choices carry inherent bias.
Examples: child prostitute, unwed mother, slave vs enslaved, manmade, etc.
As I look more and more at the world through a trauma informed lens, I wonder if the phrase "Performance Anxiety" could use some examination.
One's "performance anxiety" is the tip of the iceberg; the part that we see and feel while, well, performing.
But really it's a combination of so many things:
our current state of mental health,
how we feel about ourselves,
trauma that has not been healed or even yet identified,
how we feel about our preparedness,
our ability to receive support.
cultural expectations, or our perceived cultural expectations.”
While wondering about the link between language and solutions, I received this wisdom from Lily Sutton: “How we conceive of a “problem,” how we define it, determines whether it is solvable, and guides the process for coming to the solution. “Performance anxiety” implies that the source of the problem is the current situation, but the roots of the problem can be a different story. A new definition invites new possibilities. Any problem can be approached with curiosity and respect for what’s known and what is yet to be learned.”
I’d love to hear how you might rename “Performance Anxiety”. In claiming it, we can start to empower ourselves and find our own solutions. Hope to hear from you.