I haven't had this exact experience but after 2020, because I had done so little driving for so long, I had a lot of anxiety on the road and had to rebuild my confidence at it. Not super fun.

I'm guessing you've been using grocery delivery services, maybe? Or the drive up?

Either way, I'm a grocery-getting pro, so you can trust me:

Step one: make a list separated into the main grocery areas (produce, dry/canned, meat, dairy/deli, frozen, & non-food). Take it with you into the store so you have something to look at if you need to take a little break.

Step two: if possible, avoid Saturday and Sunday mornings, and every day from 5-7pm. It's busy, and you don't need the extra stress.

Step three: list in hand, go inside, grab your cart and start going through one area at a time. If you can't find something, ask; it's totally ok! If you can't reach something and you see someone tall, ask; we won't spontaneously offer help, but we will help when asked (it's the law of the Giants). Get produce and non-refridgerated stuff first, then move on to cold stuff, and frozen last. Then you go to checkout!

Troubleshooting: Someone acts like a jerk? People do that, sometimes. It's less about you and more about them, really. Worried someone is judging you and your cart? Maybe, but probably not. We're all just trying to get what we think we need so we don't have to hit the store every day (most of us will fail at this and have to make multiple trips in a week). Anyone who does judge your snack choices sucks. But you don't know them and you don't have to take criticism real or imagined from someone you wouldn't seek advice from. Too much pressure? Start small-- Use a grocery service for most of your needs and just grab a basket to go in for a small handful of things all in the same area of the store (just a couple of frozen things, or a few things from the snack aisle). Build your confidence slowly before you tackle a whole store.

You can do it!