The Spotlight Effect
Have you ever felt that everyone was watching you?
When you fell up the stairs, spilled something on your shirt, or stumbled over your words?
I have good news!
It is likely the people around you MAY have noticed, but they are more worried about their own lives.
Recently I have learned about “the spotlight effect” and although I’ve had knowledge of this idea throughout my life, I didn’t know there was a formal term and research behind it.
The spotlight effect describes how people tend to believe that others are paying more attention to them than they actually are—in other words, our tendency to always feel like we are “in the spotlight.”
The term is relatively new, first appearing in a psychology publication in 1999.
As a high performer, it is important to be aware of the spotlight effect for the moments when we falter and we feel that everyone is watching and judging us.
If we continue to believe that people are closely spectating our every move, it can cause us to hold back our ability, feel self-conscious, and can cause unnecessary anxiety.
It’s time to give yourself permission to stop worrying about what other people think of you!
We have a tendency to create an imaginary audience who we think is tracking our every move, when in reality they are more worried about themselves than anyone else.
So next time a couple of people laugh across the room, or you feel that everyone is watching, consider putting things in perspective.
The people across the room are not talking about you and no body is really watching.
Don’t let the spotlight effect stop you from stepping out of your comfort zone, performing your best, and trying something new!
Sources and recommended reading:
