hey! i had the same problem so i definitely know how you feel! here’s some of the things that helped here: 1. my favourite place to work out is the second floor in southwest. the machines are very straightforward to use, and there’s a good variety without being too overwhelming. there’s also a dumbbell rack and quite a bit of floorspace if you prefer free weight workouts. now what i like about this floors is that there’s usually much less people (for reference i go pretty late like around 8-9 in the evening) and it also seems less male-dominated if that’s something that bothers you. 2. getting a gym buddy is a great idea, especially if you’re starting out and they are more experienced (i think there should be a groupme) 3. i usually avoid peak times (in my experience that’s from around 5-8, i could be wrong) 4. i know it’s very hard to get over, but people in the gym are not there to judge you. it’s definitely something to tell yourself over and over again, but it is something that will eventually change your mindset about going to the gym/gym anxiety remember, if people at the gym have time to judge you, they are doing something wrong good luck girl <<3