9 Ways To Help You Overcome Your Social Anxiety

To understand how to overcome social anxiety, it is crucial to understand what social anxiety is.

This is because it is one of the most commonly misunderstood mental illnesses, and many people suffer in silence. It’s not only about feeling shy in front of a group of known or unknown people, and in most cases, it overtakes your daily life.

People with social anxiety have a constant phobia of being judged, laughed at, criticized, or humiliated whenever they perform in front of others, even in the most ordinary, daily situations.

It is becoming extremely common amongst Australians, with about 11% of the population experiencing it during their lifetime and just under 5% experiencing social phobia in any 12 month period.

WHO ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE?

It is worth mentioning here that more women than men experience social phobia, and the symptoms often begin at the age of 13, making young adolescents more vulnerable to the ailment.

Hence, if you’re wondering how to overcome your social anxiety, we have some tips that might just help.

POWERFUL WAYS TO HELP YOU IN OVERCOMING SOCIAL ANXIETY:

• Challenge any anxious and negative thoughts

There will be times when you might that there’s nothing you can do to change the way you feel and think. However, there are quite a number of things that you can do to help yourself.

One of the most effective ways to reduce your symptoms is to challenge any anxious thoughts that you are having. The best way to do this is to start by identifying the anxious thoughts that come into your head while you’re in a social situation.

After you’ve identified them, move onto analyzing them and challenging them. Question yourself as to why you think like this and whether your first reaction is actually how you feel or you’re just always assuming the worst.

Remember that changing the way you think can be a time-taking process. However, your mind is a powerful tool, and if you have the patience, it is possible.

• Practice mindfulness

Practicing mindfulness meditation helps you be present and aware of your current thoughts and feelings without being judgmental or clinging to any particular thought.

According to a study published in the journal called Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, researchers concluded that meditation has positive effects in particular areas of our brain.

Participants with normal anxiety levels who practiced 20-minutes of mindfulness everyday had their anxiety levels down by 39% at the end of their training.

• Visit your nearest coffee shop

Do you love watching movies online and binge-watch your favorite TV show? Then why not take your tablet or laptop to a coffee shop and enjoy your movie or show there?

This activity’s primary goal is to help you do something that you enjoy doing in a place that would make you feel anxious. This way, you can focus on the thing that you’re familiar with and feel comfortable doing but will be pushing your boundaries at the same time.

A clear sign that your effort has been worthwhile is when you see that you can push yourself but remain at your mental comfort zone simultaneously.

• Formulate an exposure hierarchy

This can be an excellent way to identify the signs of social anxiety in particular situations as you will be to rate how each social situation makes you feel anxious. For example, a 0 would indicate no anxiety, while a 10 would suggest a situation that is likely to give you a panic attack.

Take some time out from your busy schedule, sit down, and think carefully about how you would feel for every situation, irrespective of how big or small it is. From walking into a room full of people asking a person on the street for the time, make sure to note down your predictions. This way, when the time comes to experience it, you know exactly how you thought you would feel.

[Read More: 8 Natural Remedies And Therapies That Can Help To Reduce Symptoms Of OCD]

• Don’t focus too much on yourself

It can be challenging to silence the constant chatter in your mind particularly in situations that make you anxious. We invariably turn our focus on ourselves and think about how others will perceive us, most of the time, assuming that it will be negative.

You compulsively think about how others will be looking at you when you walk into a crowded room and judging you in one way or another, although that’s not the case.

So, stop focusing on yourself and what others think of you. Instead, focus on others around you, be present, and try to make genuine connections.

Remember that no one’s perfect, so always try to be in the present and listen to what is being said.

• Choose a healthier lifestyle for reducing anxiety

If you find yourself thinking how to overcome social anxiety naturally, then adopting a healthy lifestyle would be the first step. As we all know, our body and mind are linked, and how we treat our body affects our mind, including our anxiety levels.

Making the smallest lifestyle changes can help boost your self-confidence and your ability to cope with anxiety. Limit your caffeine intake and try to do the same with energy drinks as it contains stimulants that can increase your symptoms. Try to exercise every day or at least go for a brisk walk whenever you get the time.

Drink alcohol in moderation, and although it might help calm your nerves, it can also increase the chances of having an anxiety attack. Stay hydrated and make sure that you get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation can lead to mood disorders, and research also suggests that it can also lead to anxiety disorders.

• Act confidently

People with social anxiety suffer from crippling shyness. But the good news is that you can learn to be confident just like you can learn to ride a bicycle. If you act confidently, then people will react positively.

However, this doesn’t mean that you have to be the center of attention. You just need to be more assertive. You might feel terrified at first, but you will surely feel better each time.

• Talk

Once you overcome your social anxiety and shyness, you will feel more confident conversing with others.Talking to others can be extremely challenging, especially if you don’t know what to say, and an awkward silence might feel like it lasts for a lifetime.

However, talking to people will gradually help you to come out of your shell and be less socially anxious each time.

And finally…..

• Confront your fears

It’s impossible to overcome your social anxiety disorder if you are not willing to expose yourself to situations that make you feel anxious. By avoiding difficult and anxiety-triggering situations, you won’t be doing yourself any favour or encourage personal growth.

Studies over the years have clearly shown that exposure therapy or facing your fears is an effective way to treat various anxiety disorders. However, research also suggests that exposure therapy must be applied gently.

So, start off by taking part in social interaction or any other activity that will only slightly provoke your anxiety and slowly work your way up from there.

IN CONCLUSION

If you’re wondering how to overcome social anxiety in the quickest possible way, then you better brace yourself as it can be a long journey, mainly because it takes time for new neural pathways to be formed.

The ways or tips provided above can come in handy in aiding this process. But, if you find that your social anxiety is becoming too much of a burden, then feel free to take professional help in whatever form you’re comfortable with.

The obstacle might seem impossible to overcome, but it’s undoubtedly worth the try as it will enable you to live your life free of any worries or anxieties.