FFXIV: How to Deal with Grouping Anxiety
Posted on August 9, 2026 by Aywren
In a previous video, I talked about the top things that cause players anxiety in FFXIV. Of course, group content is at the top of this list.
While FFXIV does provide duty support and ways to solo most of the game, there are still instances where you will be forced to group during the MSQ storyline. For some folks, grouping with other people is scary enough to drive them to put off and avoid the content all together, and the anxiety response when finally forced to do this content is strong.
I know this to be true because though I’ve played MMOS since Ultima Online, I’ve always been scared of grouping with other people. So much that my hands would physically shake while trying to play the content, and I couldn’t make it stop!
I was forced to make a choice when I started playing FFXIV back in the ARR days, before there was a duty support. Either I quit the game, or I faced the facts that I needed to overcome my grouping fears.
If you look back a number of my old posts in this blog, you’ll see my struggles with grouping and how I’ve been able to slowly gain the confidence to do group content, even on my own. It was partially these experiences that led me to make a YouTube channel dedicated to the shy, introverted, and anxious folks who still want to find a way to enjoy MMORPGs.
This video offers some suggestions on how to work up the confidence to overcome grouping anxiety in FFXIV.
I can’t promise it will fix everything for you – I still have my days where fear gets to me – but it’s somewhere to start!