collaborationsoft-skills

Pair programming makes me freeze up and I don't know how to fix it

Anonymous18 Jul 2026

One-on-one at my own keyboard I'm fine. The second someone's watching my screen while I type, I forget basic syntax, mis-click everything, and start narrating in this weird fake-confident voice. It's embarrassing and it makes me look way less capable than I actually am.

Does this go away with reps, or are there tricks? We're doing more pairing on my team and I can't keep dreading it every time.

0

2 replies

TopNew

Anonymous18 Jul 2026
You're almost certainly more capable than you look in those sessions, and the people pairing with you probably know that. It's performance anxiety, not a skill gap. Driving with someone friendly a couple times a week made it fade for me.
0
Anonymous18 Jul 2026
Reps help, but what fixed it for me was saying out loud "give me a sec, I think better when I'm not narrating" and then just doing it quietly. Naming it kills the pressure, and most people are relieved you said it.
0

Join to reply