Bella's story: there is incredible value in making connections with new people

During my main school years, I had a lot of anxiety, particularly in social situations. After the COVID-19 lockdowns, the anxiety was definitely heightened. This made it incredibly hard to get to know others outside of my ‘comfort circle,’ but I knew it was something I needed to do. I understood that creating relationships with other people would challenge my own worries but also allow me to extend my network of friends. Eventually, I was able to broaden my horizons and start speaking to others by trying to be kind and trustworthy as often as possible. I began to understand that there are loads of advantages to meeting new people and creating healthy relationships with your peers at school.

At first, it was quite challenging to communicate with new people. One way I did it was by sitting next to new people in lessons. I found it too much to expose myself to new people at break and lunch as it was too overwhelming, but in lessons, it was a smaller group. As well as this in the lesson, I feel that you have more common ground and more stuff to talk about: homework or tests are all common connections between people in your class.

I am so happy that I have gained these confidence skills, especially within myself and what I have to offer others. Some of the most interesting political discussions I’ve had were with people that weren’t necessarily my best friends. I’ve also found that the people who have supported me most through lessons and schoolwork are those I don’t necessarily chat with daily. I actually find that I can find something in common with everyone I speak to; it may not always be much, but it’s enough to make a connection. By being open to new relationships, I was able to have these experiences.