The Shyness & Social Anxiety Workbook
176Practices Involving Writing in Front of Others
As a rule, people who are uncomfortable writing in front of others are concerned 
about having shaky hands while they are writing. They also may be fearful of others 
judging their handwriting or noticing personal information that they may be record -
ing. Examples of situations that can provide an opportunity to write in front of others 
include the following:
UÊPay for items using a check . Instead of paying with cash or a debit card, 
write a check when purchasing merchandise in a store. Be sure to complete 
the check in front of the cashier (don’t write out the check before you get 
to the store: that’s cheating). If you’re concerned about having the cashier 
notice your shaky hands, try making your hands shake purposefully. In fact, 
to really challenge your fear, let your hands shake so much that you have to 
write a whole new check.
UÊWrite a letter while seated in a public place . Write a letter to a friend while 
sitting in a café, riding on a bus, or relaxing on a public bench. Make sure 
that there are others around who can see you writing.
UÊFill out forms or applications in front of other people . For example, com -
plete an application for a new credit card or loan at a bank (with the bank 
ofﬁcer watching), complete an application for a new video-store member -
ship, ﬁll out a contest ballot in front of a cashier, or sign documents in front 
of your coworkers.
Can you think of other possible practices that involve writing in front of other 
people? If so, record them in the space below:
Other Practices
Practices Involving Job Interviews