Have you ever entered a room full of people and felt the need to leave right away? Do you experience hesitation, discomfort, or nervousness at the simple prospect of social interaction? If this relates to you, learning more about social anxiety (social phobia) can be helpful. Most people who struggle with social phobia are looking for ways to get better. It’s not something that happens overnight, but it also won’t take a very long time to happen. It can be challenging to learn how to get over social anxiety. But after learning you may feel like a new person.
There are several methods you can try to manage your anxiety without seeking help from a professional. Let’s learn more about various coping techniques for social phobia and how well they work to help people overcome it.
How To Deal Social Anxiety: Tricks To Know
It is estimated that one in every eight Americans may experience social phobia. Because this is a real issue, learning how to overcome social anxiety is essential. We’ll go over all of the possible social anxiety treatment tricks step by step.
Identify The Symptoms Of Social Anxiety
Even though anyone who feels social phobia fears being negatively judged, different events might trigger it for different people. Many persons who struggle with social phobia have discomfort in the majority of situations that call for them to interact with or perform in front of others. However, some people only experience social phobia in specific circumstances, such as public speaking or event hosting. A person who is normally open and at ease chatting with strangers at parties, for instance, might only experience social anxiety when presenting presentations. In actuality, one of the most prevalent particular reasons for social anxiety is public speaking.
Grab a journal and make notes about what you notice each time you have social anxiety when you know it’s going to happen, right before it does, or even at the time it does. This will help you overcome your social anxiety. This will enable you to identify the situations and times that make you anxious.
Clear About Your Values
Digging deep and becoming very clear about your values is a great first step in overcoming social anxiety. Your values reveal the things in life that are most significant to you, which keeps you rooted in a feeling of meaning and purpose.
Looking at your values can help you identify any differences between the life you want to live and the one you are now living when it comes to social phobia. Inconsistencies between our principles and the lives we’re now leading can be painful.
Regardless of the extent to which your current life is in line with your underlying values or not. Having a clear understanding of your values allows you to respond to questions. Such as, Why is social anxiety an issue in your life? How is social anxiety preventing you from leading a more fulfilling life? Why is it important to you to reduce your social anxiety?
Stop Thinking Negatively
Stop worrying about how others will laugh at your accent. Don’t think that you’re only making yourself look bad. And stop thinking that no one will listen to you when you speak.
All of these negative ideas are just interfering with your performance. Instead, you should focus on the positive.
Why not make your own positive mantra and repeat it to yourself many times a day? Having a positive mantra, such as “I am a very likable person,” can improve your performance significantly.
Spend Time With Your Friends
To overcome social anxiety, you must first feel comfortable. Why not begin by going out with your closest friends or family?
Request that trusted people show you the ropes. That way, you may be certain that nothing bad will happen to you. It may be scary at first, but if you honestly want to improve your situation, you must be ready to take the steps required.
Explore Familiar Places
Overcoming social phobia does not happen overnight. So don’t push yourself too hard, especially when you’re just getting started.
Aside from spending time with people you already know, make it a point to visit places you are familiar with. If you’re not used to going to a bar or a rave party, don’t do it all at once. The shock of being in such a foreign environment may increase your social phobia.
Exposure therapy with a trained professional is the most effective way to overcome social anxiety. Remember that social anxiety is treatable, and the best step toward recovery is to seek professional help.
Consult A Professional Therapist Or Psychiatrist
If you believe that your social phobia is seriously affecting your quality of life. It is worthwhile to consult with a professional. Remember that social phobia is a mental illness. And, sometimes, expert assistance is both necessary and beneficial.
Social anxiety disorder can be severely unpleasant. And the most effective treatment strategy combines cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and/or medication. A therapist can also refer you to a psychiatrist. And he/she can prescribe social anxiety medication. Medication can alleviate extreme symptoms, making it simpler to begin working through them in therapy. Xanax, Ativan, Klonopin, and Valium are a few meds for social anxiety that you may prescribe.
Additionally, you can reduce your social anxiety by self-help techniques without taking help from professionals.
Best Self-Help Techniques For Dealing With Social Anxiety
When you’re nervous or anxious about a social situation, try some of the anxiety-reduction strategies listed below:
Focus on Your Breathing
Slow breathing is a useful technique for slowing down your breathing when you are nervous or anxious. How will you do it correctly?
- Sit up straight.
- Inhale slowly through your nose, focusing on your lower belly for about 4 seconds.
- For 1 or 2 seconds, hold your breath.
- For 4 seconds, slowly exhale through your mouth.
- Wait a few seconds before inhaling again.
- Concentrate on your breathing as you do so. Take note of how your nose, throat, chest, and stomach feel.
- Notice any tension leaving your body as you exhale.
- Rep at least three times.
Additional Social Anxiety Treatment Strategies
If starting conversations is your main issue, your fear ladder can look like this:
- Start a conversation with a stranger in public
- Call a public number (like a hotline, or restaurant) and ask a question
- Ask a question in a class or work meeting
- Greet an authority figure (boss, teacher, or coach) and ask how they are
- Start a text conversation with a friend
- With the Zoom camera on, unmute and say something
- Wave hello at an unfamiliar neighbor
- Wave hello at a familiar neighbor
- Type a greeting over Zoom or social media
- Initiate an email conversation