Do you often feel very uneasy and uncomfortable in social situations? Are you afraid of giving speeches and getting interviewed for a new job? Social anxiety is more than being nervous or shy. It is the intense fear of some social situations that are unfamiliar or in which you feel that you are being watched or evaluated by others. Sometimes, these situations get so frightening that you feel anxious just imagining them, and you will do many things to avoid them. In the process, you find yourself disrupting normal life activities.
No matter how shy you may be feeling around others, you can still learn to become comfortable in these situations and take back control of your life. Knowing what triggers social anxiety can help you perform better socially. Typical emotional signs of the social anxiety disorder may include:
Even when it seems like there is nothing that you can do to deal with the symptoms of social anxiety disorders, some things have been proven to help. It all starts with challenging your mentality, and this is by getting rid of negative thoughts that underlie your fear of social situations. Challenging the negative thoughts makes you stronger and more confident to face any upcoming social event with confidence.
Focusing on others enables you to reduce your social anxiety as you perform in front of other people. You also concentrate fully on the performance you are giving, and the things taking place around you. This way, you stop considering yourself as the center of attention, and you get to engage with people better. Anxiety is not as visible as you might think, and others might be feeling as nervous as you are. Listen to what others are saying and not your negative thoughts. Also, focus on the present moment and release the pressure to add to your confidence.
Quick breathing is one of the common symptoms of social anxiety and leads to other symptoms such as dizziness and tension. By learning how to control your breathing, you can manage your physical symptoms of anxiety. Try to sit more comfortably and inhale slowly for a while. Hold your breath and then exhale slowly. This will slow down the rapid heart pace and reduce the physical symptoms, which will enable you to become more confident before others. Additionally taking certain medication can calm the mind and body. A common question is can CBD cause anxiety? Well, CBD oil has been known to deal with some of the symptoms attached to anxiety and one of the options for treating it.
Additionally, learn to face your fears, and you can do this in small steps. It enables you to gradually work on more challenging situations and build your coping skills and confidence. For instance, you can start accompanying a friend to parties to deal with social anxiety and, with more confidence, start introducing yourself to new people. Be patient as you try this, as the improvement is a gradual process that needs patience and practice on the skills you have learned.
Social anxiety is something that you can deal with, and you can gradually gain confidence with the skills that have been outlined in previous sections. You will also get to become better socially when you focus outwardly on what others say and do. With this in place, you will find yourself getting better with social interactions and more confident about handling conversations and public gatherings such as parties.
