5 Effective Ways to Overcome Social Anxiety
Dealing effectively with social anxiety is not an easy task for most. Many may not be equipped with the tools to deal with social anxiety, making this a lot more challenging to overcome.
Is your fear of interacting with people or attending social events taking over your life? It may be time to consider some of these ways to overcome social anxiety.
Identify your social anxiety triggers
Social anxiety is frequently activated in a person by certain social events. In some cases, you might be OK just being among others, as long as they don’t require you to speak up. Take essential steps to identify why and when you are most anxious. These are a few common triggers:
- Social events
- Meeting new people
- Public speaking or public performance
- Eating around people you aren’t familiar with
- Using public toilets
- Dating
- Making small talk
Show yourself some compassion
It is not easy to keep social anxiety at bay. There will be instances when you think negatively and revert to old patterns. Showing yourself compassion means that when you are struggling, you should treat yourself like you would a good friend.
Don’t beat yourself up over every situation, be patient with yourself, and speak kindly to yourself. Self-care is a major requirement for overcoming social anxiety, so after you feel like you have failed, take a step back and show yourself some love.
Practice mindfulness
The practice of mindfulness meditation teaches being present and aware of your thoughts and emotions without analyzing or reacting to them. If you are new to meditation, try beginning with 3–5 minutes of sitting in a quiet space focusing on your breathing with your eyes closed.
You can increase the time limit as you become more comfortable with meditation. Learning to meditate is a process. At first, you may struggle to still your mind, but as you continue to practice, it will get easier.
Make a conscious effort to be social
Are you that person at events who avoids interacting with people by hiding behind your phone or busying yourself with a task that does not involve speaking to others? Instead of looking at your phone, search the room for someone who looks friendly and start a conversation. Make small talk about current affairs or the weather.
These may seem overwhelming at first, but if you consciously try to speak to one person at every event, the anxiety will be much less each time. Avoiding interaction in these instances will only increase your feeling of loneliness if not dealt with appropriately.
Find a good therapist
Many do not realize that social anxiety is a genuine mental health condition. Talking about social anxiety is not always an easy task for those living with this condition. Anyone who deals with this is not alone in this struggle and should find a psychologist to talk to.
Opening up to a psychologist is the first step to you being able to open up to others about your social anxiety. A psychologist will help you identify triggers that may not be obvious and will help you find coping mechanisms.
Final thoughts
While finding a therapist is a suggestion, it is understandable that not everyone can afford one. Finding someone to talk to who understands your situation does not have to be as complex or expensive as you may think. Joyfully is an app that allows you to speak to people who have most likely been through a similar situation and is trained to help you.
Take the first step to getting help by downloading the Joyfully app today!
