[shotput]

Thanks - yes, I agree with the practice and conscious relaxation.

And I do not intend to touch the "because she's a woman" part. Although I have definitely seen that side - things like her idea being accepted by someone only when said more confidently by another group member. Of course that is not just a gender thing, it's also about how to assert yourself in a group containing some dominant people. It's tricky to separate out the "because she's a woman" part from the "because she's not as assertive as needed in that situation" or "because someone else had better timing or communication" part.