Social Anxiety Treatment

Tip 1: Tackle negative thoughts.

Although it may seem that there is nothing that could be done to ease social phobia or social anxiety disorder, there are quite a few options. The first step is to challenge your perspective.

Negative thoughts and attitudes cause worry and anxiety. These can include things like:

“I’m sure I’m going to appear like a fool.”

“My voice will begin to shake, and I will embarrass myself.”

“They will think I’m an idiot.”

“I’m not going to say anything.” I’ll come across as uninteresting.”

Challenging negative thought processes is an exceptional method to ease the symptoms of social anxiety.

Step 1: Recognize the habitual negative beliefs that are at the root of your social phobia. If you are nervous about a work report, for instance, the primary negative impression can be, “I am going to mess it up.  Everybody will believe I am a total fool.”

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Step 2: Examine and refute these ideas. Asking yourself queries about negative thoughts can help: “Do I know with certainty that I am going to blow the speech?” or “Will people automatically assume I am stupid if I’m nervous?” You can progressively replace your negative beliefs with the more acceptable and constructive manner of viewing social circumstances that prompt your anxiety by using this rational evaluation.

Thinking about why you think and feel the way you do can be terrifying, but knowing the causes of your concerns will help you reduce their detrimental effect.

Social anxiety is fueled by problematic thinking processes. Introspection is important to know whether you are thinking in any of the following detrimental ways:

• Reading minds – Assuming you can read others’ minds and that they perceive you in a similarly negative light as you do.
• Predicting the future – The practice of forecasting the outcome of the future while expecting the worst.  You just “know” things are going to go badly, so you are worried even before you are in the situation.
• Catastrophic thinking – Means exaggerating a situation. People will say things like “awful,” “bad,” or “disastrous” if they know you are nervous.
• Personalizing – Believing that others are focusing negatively on you or that what happens to other people has something to do with you.

Tip 2: Concentrate on others rather than oneself.

Most of us get swept up in our intrusive thoughts and sensations when we are in a social scenario that gets us apprehensive. You may believe that everyone is staring at you and passing judgment. Your attention is drawn to your physical sensations in the hopes of better controlling them by paying careful attention. However, this extreme self-focus just serves to heighten your awareness of how uncomfortable you are, resulting in even greater anxiety! It also makes it difficult for you to fully concentrate on the discussions going on behind you or the act you are putting on.

Shifting from an inner to an exterior focus can help you feel less anxious in social situations. It’s easier than it sounds, but you can’t focus on two things at the same time. The more you focus on what is going on around you, the less anxiety will influence you.

Concentrate on other people, not on what they are thinking about you! Rather, make efforts to connect with them and establish a true relationship.

Keep in mind that nervousness isn’t as evident as you might believe. And just because someone realizes you are nervous does not imply they will judge you negatively. There’s a good chance that others are as anxious as you are—or have been in the past.

Pay attention to what is being stated rather than to your negative thoughts.

Instead of stressing about what you are trying to say or berating yourself for a past blunder, concentrate on the present moment.

Let go of the need to be flawless. Instead, concentrate on being sincere and responsive, traits that others will value.

Tip 3: Master breathing control.

When you feel nervous, your body undergoes numerous changes. One of the first things you notice is that you start breathing faster. Over breathing (hyperventilation) disrupts the equilibrium of carbon dioxide and oxygen in your body, causing dizziness, a sense of suffocation, an elevated heart rate, and muscle tension, among other physical symptoms of worry.

Learning to control your physical symptoms of anxiety might be as simple as slowing down your breathing. Staying calm can be achieved by practicing the following breathing exercise:

Sit with your back straight and shoulders relaxed in a comfortable position. One hand should be on your chest, while the other should be on your stomach.

Inhale deeply and slowly for 4 seconds through your nose. The hand on your stomach must rise slightly, whereas the hand on your chest should barely move.

For 2 seconds, hold your breath.

Exhale gently for 6 seconds with your mouth, sucking in as much air as you can. As you exhale, the hand on your tummy should move in, but the other hand should move very little.

Inhale deeply through your nose and exhale deeply through your mouth. Concentrate on maintaining a 4-in, 2-hold, and 6-out breathing pattern.

Tip 4: Confront your anxieties.

One of the most effective ways to reduce social nervousness is to face it face head-on, rather than avoid, the social situations that you are afraid of. Social anxiety disorder is perpetuated via avoidance. While escaping difficult circumstances may make you feel better in the short term, it inhibits you from getting more at ease in social situations and learning to cope in the long run. The more you try to avoid a feared social scenario, the scarier it becomes.

Escaping might sometimes keep you from accomplishing goals or doing things you want to do. Dread of speaking up, for example, may stop you from communicating your thoughts at work, standing out in class, or building new friendships.

While it may appear hard to overcome a fearful social circumstance, it is feasible to accomplish so by taking little steps at a time. The trick is, to begin with, a circumstance that you can handle and progressively work your way up the “anxiety ladder,” enhancing your coping skills and increasing confidence as you progress.

If mingling with strangers makes you nervous, for example, you may start by going to a party with an outgoing friend. Once you’ve mastered that step, try familiarizing yourself with one new person at a time, and so on. To work your way up the social anxiety ladder, do the following:

Do not attempt to confront your worst fear right immediately. Moving too quickly, taking on too much, or forcing things is never a smart idea. This could backfire and make your anxiousness worse.

Patience is required. It takes time and practice to overcome social anxiety. It’s a methodical, step-by-step approach.

Stay calm by applying the techniques you’ve learned, such as focusing on your breathing and rejecting negative preconceptions.