Table of Contents
7 Tips for Living With Social Anxiety
- Control Your Breathing.
- Try Exercise or Progressive Muscle Relaxation.
- Prepare.
- Start Small.
- Take the Focus Off Yourself.
- Talk Back to Negative Thoughts.
- Use Your Senses.
Is it normal to be anxious in social situations?
It’s normal to feel nervous in some social situations. For example, going on a date or giving a presentation may cause that feeling of butterflies in your stomach.
For some people it gets better as they get older. But for many people it does not go away on its own without treatment. It’s important to get help if you are having symptoms. There are treatments that can help you manage it.
What happens if you always avoid situations that scare you?
If you always avoid situations that scare you, you might stop doing things you want or need to do. You won’t be able to test out whether the situation is always as bad as you expect, so you miss the chance to work out how to manage your fears and reduce your anxiety. Anxiety problems tend to increase if you get into this pattern.
How do you overcome your fears?
The only way you’re going to overcome your fears is by actually doing something about it, rather than sitting back and doing nothing at all. “I’m a big fan of taking action. Taking action can greatly reduce one’s fear level. I often advise my patients to remember a time when they were afraid of something, yet did it anyway.
How do I deal with social anxiety disorder (SAD)?
Do something. Although it can be tempting to avoid social and performance situations if you suffer from social anxiety disorder (SAD), it is important to get yourself out there. That means accepting invitations to go places and do things that make you uncomfortable.
How can I stop being scared of something I don’t want?
Use thought-stopping to turn the thoughts off, and then distract yourself into something more helpful and positive. For instance, you might call and talk with a friend about ‘life,’ or watch a TV program, or go for a walk. Anything to get your mind off the thing you’ve been fearing,” says Hibbert.