Fear of Being Seen: Why You Hold Back | Mind Tamers
👁️🗨️ “If I’m Seen, I’ll Be Judged”
How Visibility Fear Quietly Holds You Back (and What to Do About It)
I was working with a client recently who said:
“If I’m seen, I’ll be judged.”
It was quiet, buried, but always there.
And it shaped everything for them, from how they showed up online to what they believed they were capable of in their business.
Sound familiar?
If the idea of putting yourself “out there” makes you hesitate, overthink, or want to hide - there’s a good chance a version of this belief is running in the background for you too.
💭 Where does this come from?
Maybe you were criticised, bullied, or made to feel small when you spoke up.
Maybe you learned that being visible led to pain, rejection, or being misunderstood.
So your brain made a connection:
Visibility = danger
From then on, it became safer to stay small.
Quieter. Hidden. Careful.
Even if part of you deeply wanted to be seen.
📷 What it looks like now…
You overthink every networking event, video or post
You procrastinate instead of showing up - doing the washing up looks inviting right now
You edit yourself, your clothes, your voice, your words, your presence...you - to be more “acceptable”
You shrink to avoid judgement, even when you have something meaningful to say
This isn’t a confidence issue.
It’s a protection strategy — one your system adopted to keep you safe.
Because - and I want you to hear and understand this - your mind is only trying to protect you.
That is all it wants to do!
🌿 But here’s the thing:
You don’t have to stay hidden.
And you don’t have to bulldoze your fear, either.
You can retrain your nervous system to feel safe being seen.
You can shift the belief at its root.
And you can learn how to show up in a way that feels calm, authentic, and true to you.
1. Affirm your safety
Say out loud (even if it feels silly):
“It’s safe for me to be seen now.”
Let your body hear it - not just your mind.
2. Post something imperfect
Let go of the polish. Share something real. It’s not about being flawless, it’s about being honest. And safe.
3. Notice who you’re imagining
Before you speak, create, or post, pause and ask:
“Who am I afraid will see this?”
Often we’re performing for ghosts. When we realise that, the power starts to loosen.
🎥 Are you avoiding being on camera for your social media?
I created Be Seen: Confidence on Camera to help people just like you work through visibility fear and actually enjoy showing up.
It’s gentle. It’s practical. It blends belief work, nervous system support, and subconscious tools — all in one short, powerful course.
🔍 Not sure what belief you’re carrying?
Take the quiz I created to help you discover your Limiting Belief Type. It’s free, takes 2 minutes, and might just reveal something you didn’t know was there.
💬 Would you like to just have a quick chat?
I do a free 30 min discovery call. It means I can answer a question you have, or you can see if you want to work with me.
It is NOT a sales call!
It is a n "Is this person someone I can trust and be open with?" call. Because if you ever work with a therapist or coach - that is what you have to feel. If you don't - then find someone else.
Because you truly have to trust and feel safe with someone for them to help you make the true, life changing breakthroughs you deserve.
You deserve to be seen for who you really are —
not who you think you have to be to feel safe.
And you don’t have to do it alone.
With love,
Margaret x
