Dealing with Social Anxiety
Have you ever had the feeling that everyone in the room is watching you?
Dealing with social anxiety can make it very hard to make new friends, or relax and have fun at important events like weddings or company dinners.
A person suffering with social anxiety may feel nervous, easily agitated or shaky and have trouble expressing themselves.
It is not uncommon for a person experiencing this to flee the situation entirely and avoid going out again.
This can leave a person feeling depressed and isolated.
Social anxiety can be conquered with a few simple techniques.
Set Your Mood
Try not to dread being around other people.
Remember that the way you talk to yourself can either calm you down or make you feel worse.
Avoid thinking about things and people that make you nervous.
Try to think about the things that you might enjoy while you are there.
Will there be good food?
Are there going to be people there that you like?
There is almost always something that will make social interaction worthwhile.
Keep your focus on those things, and make a conscious decision to enjoy yourself while you are there, no matter what happens.
Prepare Yourself
Think about how you will answer the questions that almost always come up.
At some point someone may ask:
How are you?
How are your children or spouse?
What have you been up to?
Having answers for these and other possible questions in mind before you go may help you feel less “on the spot” when the moment arrives.
This may help you avoid an awkward one word response.
But even if that happens, remember that it takes two people to have a conversation.
And you are well within your rights to ask questions of them too.
Think About Other People
Most of your anxiety might stem from the feeling that other people could be judging you.
It might help to remember that they are most likely thinking about themselves too.
Instead of thinking about what others are thinking when they look at you, look at them and pay attention to what they are saying.
Pinpoint positive things about the people around you and try to get them to talk about themselves.
Feeling nervous around others is more common than you might think.
But with time and practice, dealing with social anxiety can be a thing of the past