How to Overcome Social Anxiety
– The Most Effective Steps
by www.Sedona.com
We all get anxious in certain social situations -- a business luncheon, a job interview, a first date, all of these can put butterflies in your stomach and cause your mind to have the jitters.
But for people with social anxiety disorder those jitters turn into all-out fear, anxiety and extreme self-consciousness. Simply going to the grocery store or out for dinner with friends becomes a scary situation in which you fear others are judging you or watching you, or that you may humiliate yourself.
Those with the disorder may go to great lengths to avoid social situations of all kinds, and in so doing miss out on many opportunities, and may even have a hard time getting through their daily routine.
Signs You May Have Social Anxiety Disorder
If you have social anxiety disorder chances are you suspect it already. But for those wondering if a friend or loved one is affected, here are some symptoms to watch out for, according to the Mayo Clinic:
- Intense fear of being in situations in which you don't know people
- Fear of situations in which you may be judged
- Worrying about embarrassing or humiliating yourself
- Fear that others will notice that you look anxious
- Anxiety that disrupts your daily routine, work, school or other activities
- Avoiding doing things or speaking to people out of fear of embarrassment
- Avoiding situations where you might be the center of attention
When thrust into a social situation, meanwhile, those with social anxiety disorder may sweat excessively, have difficulty talking or do so with a shaking voice, tremble or shake, feel nauseous, and have difficulty making eye contact.
Many people with the disorder also display the following characteristics:
- Low self-esteem
- Negative self-talk
- Poor social skills
- Hypersensitivity to criticism
- Trouble being assertive
Also at the root of the problem is an overwhelming fear of displaying symptoms of your anxiety. So the fear is not only of the social situation itself, but also of the symptoms that may appear while you’re in one.
“When we are anxious in social situations we often give ourselves a very hard time,” says Hale Dwoskin, CEO and director of training of Sedona Training Associates. “We live in a world where everyone believes it's better to be extroverted. So if we're uncomfortable in social situations there is an added stigma attached of believing that there's something wrong with us for not feeling comfortable. It doesn't need to be that way.”
How to Overcome Social Anxiety
Any type of anxiety can interfere with your ability to thoroughly enjoy your life. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to overcome anxiety and get back in control of your life.
- Release your anxious feelings. At its heart, anxiety is just a feeling and that feeling can be released. Right now, this notion may sound hard to believe, but hundreds of thousands of people have freed themselves of anxiety by doing just that, using a tool called The Sedona Method.
The Method teaches you how to release worry, fear and anxiety on the spot, leaving you free to feel relaxed and at ease.
“Allow yourself to welcome the discomfort and know that it's just a feeling -- it's not you and you can let go,” Dwoskin says. “Then simply choose to drop the discomfort as best you can. I know this sounds simple but even long-term anxiety can be released easily if you want to simply let go.”
“The more you let go of the memories of your past discomfort and your dissipation of future discomfort you'll discover that you quickly feel more stable in social situations,” he continues. “Remember though that if you feel more comfortable being alone that may just mean you are wired to need alone time and there's nothing at all wrong with that.”
- Exercise. People who exercise are less likely to develop anxiety disorders, according to a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
- Focus on the present. “Allow yourself to focus on what is actually here now as opposed to focusing on the label ‘anxiety’ and the story ‘it is chronic.’ Once you are focused on the sensations, pictures and sounds that are actually here now, it is much easier to let go of the anxious feelings,” Dwoskin points out.
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