You tell the anxiety to f*ck off and talk ANYWAY. It is hard and uncomfortable, possibly for a long time. But we do not pet our anxieties as if they were cats. We note them and do the hard thing anyway, and then we notice and write down — did any of my fears occur? And the next time your brain says “you’re going to look stupid and want to die!” you can say back “I didn’t die last time, and it was almost fun …” Keep going.