10 Tips to Overcome Social Anxiety
Social anxiety disorder is a condition in which people fear being judged negatively by others in social environments. People with social anxiety often have problems with public speaking, interacting with new people, meeting groups of people, and suffering bouts of stage-fright.
While most people experience some level of shyness that often makes them blush, those with social anxiety can feel extreme discomfort in social settings. Approximately 12.1% of adults in the US will suffer from social anxiety at some point in their lifetimes, so here’s a look at how they can get social anxiety treatment.
Social anxiety makes life more tiring and tense: bring calmness back to your days with the help of a licensed professional.
How to Overcome Social Anxiety
Here are some simple but surefire tips on how to get over social anxiety:
Accept Your Symptoms
The first step is shedding off any regret and accepting your strengths and weaknesses. If people don’t really forgive themselves and accept their condition, they won’t make any changes. Learn more about social anxiety and explore the experience of those who managed symptoms similar to yours.
Talk to a Therapist
Psychotherapy provides many benefits to individuals with severe social anxiety and other conditions. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the best and most effective social anxiety disorder treatment methods.
CBT can help patients acquire new coping mechanisms to overcome their phobias, change any regret and negative beliefs that cause anxiety, and progressively lessen the amount of fear they feel when in social situations. It is also one of the fastest ways to get over social anxiety.
Ask Your Doctor About Medications
In some cases, a quick way to deal with social anxiety would be using medications, such as:
- Antidepressants. SSRIs (selective serotonin inhibitors) and SNRIs (selective serotonin and norepinephrine inhibitors) are the highest performance solutions for persistent social anxiety symptoms. Examples are sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (Paxil), and extended-release venlafaxine (Effexor XR).
- Beta-blockers. These medications block the effects of adrenaline, which is perfect for situations that may trigger social anxiety, like when asked to be a speaker.
- Benzodiazepines. These medications provide fast-acting anxiety relief but are only suitable for short-term use due to their potential adverse effects.
Master Self-Help Techniques
Here are some tactics for overcoming social anxiety:
- Learn how to control breathing. Take about 4-5 deep breaths a minute in the middle of an anxiety bout. Inhale and exhale slowly. This exercise aims to relax your body and mind.
- Learn how to deal with rejection. Rejection happens to everyone, including successful people. Any time you find the situation of rejection awkward, think of ways to improve yourself or just move forward—you cannot please everyone.
Expand Your Comfort Zone
Expanding your comfort zone can be the first step before getting professional social anxiety help. Starting new activities can build confidence and help to gain skills that will help you become more outgoing:
- Start by taking a walk. Walking long distances is excellent exercise and helps meet new people and interact with them.
- Try sports. Sports are a great way to meet people and develop friendships. Find a team or join a gym.
- Join a club. Clubs are perfect for making friends and participating in fun activities. You can find different clubs online and on social media pages that meet regularly and have exciting events.
- Take a cooking class. Cooking classes are good for not just learning how to prepare food but also interacting with people. It also creates a good reason to plan more meetings with family and friends to share delicious meals.
Avoid Comparing Yourself to Others
Comparing yourself to others is natural, especially if you have trouble overcoming social anxiety. But it can only make you feel worse. Instead, focus on your strengths and accomplishments, work harder at your job, study more, or just spend time volunteering. These actions will help raise your self-esteem and help you overcome social anxiety.
Negative thinking patterns and ruminations can be overcome. Ask a certified therapist for help and grow your self-confidence!
Talk to Someone Who Cares About You
Talk to someone who understands how to help social anxiety or is just able to listen to you without bias and judging. Find friends or family members you trust and share feelings. Talking to people helps build relationships, eliminating feelings of loneliness. However, if the symptoms become severe and affect your life significantly, try psychotherapy to get professional help.
Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness means paying attention to what’s happening at the current moment or circumstances without judgment. It can help you become aware of your thoughts and feelings and allows you to observe the situation objectively before reacting.
People with social anxiety can try practicing mindfulness before going into any social situation. The exercises may include focusing on their breathing and body language, noticing details in the surroundings, and taking note of anything that may make them panic. Once they’ve done this, they should identify negative emotions and work to let them go.
Take Action
When feeling anxious, it’s natural to want to avoid certain situations. However, patients must confront social anxieties head-on if they want to beat them. They should not wait until they’re already in such a position.
For example, if performing in public makes you anxious, prepare everything you want to say in advance and practice saying it aloud. That way, you won’t second-guess once you are in that situation.
Also, you can try to enhance your communication skills by saying hello to people more often. You may start by greeting people you already know well and expand that to people you know less.
Work on Positive Thinking
If anxious about social situations, people who suffer from social anxiety tend to think about how things might go wrong. They start thinking about all the possible things that could happen and imagining the worst-case scenario.
Instead, they should try to focus on the positive aspects of the situation. Think about what you will learn from the interaction and how it will benefit you. If you do this consistently enough, you’ll find yourself less worried about the outcome of interactions.
Final Word
Dealing with social anxiety can be challenging for patients. If they suffer from this condition and it disrupts their daily life, they should get assistance from a mental health expert at a certified medical clinic.
So, can social anxiety be cured? An effective treatment program that includes cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and medication may assist patients in managing their social anxiety and eventually overcome the symptoms. Book an appointment at Mango Clinic for the best shot at getting over social anxiety.
