Five Ways to Cope with Social Anxiety
Social anxiety and the overwhelming fear of social situations can cause issues in many people’s friendships, work relationships, and overall lifestyle. Many people may think of social anxiety as shyness, but it is much more than that. The stress that social anxiety can cause may lead people to avoid certain situations, including both work and personal, and this can make it difficult to accomplish what they want in life. As professionals in anxiety therapy in Winter Garden, we work with many people to combat their social anxiety. These are a few ways to cope with social anxiety.
Live a Healthier Lifestyle
Consider living a healthier lifestyle so that you can decrease the triggers for your social anxiety. Eat a nutritious diet, exercise regularly, be kind to yourself, and learn the right coping strategies for your situation. Living a healthier lifestyle will allow you to decrease the negative effects of your anxiety when it creeps up on you.
Avoid Focusing on Yourself
Instead of focusing on the negative thoughts that are swirling in your mind, you should instead find other things to focus on. The thoughts in your head that are confusing you or telling you to feel insecure should be ignored. Instead, focus on what is going on around you. This will allow you to become more present in the situation and avoid the negative self-talk that can cause you to spiral.
Act Confidently
Even if you may not feel confident in the situation, you should practice acting confidently anyways. Working with a therapist can also help you to learn the ways to act as though you are not uncomfortable, despite what you truly feel. As you learn more about your triggers and the strategies to cope, you can become more confident. Eventually, it will become a natural emotion.
Face Your Fears
Even if you are terrified in the situation you are involved in, you should face your fears. One of the only ways to test if the coping strategies are working is to put them to the test in real-life situations. Although you will be practicing these strategies with your therapist, you should also start to implement them in your social situations so that you know if they work for you or not.
Talk to Others
Sometimes the most difficult part of social anxiety is actually opening your mouth to become a part of the conversation. When you are in social situations, find a few people that you feel most comfortable with, and talk to them. Talking with others will allow you to loosen up, and it will also allow you to focus on anything but the inner thoughts going on in your head.
These are some of the ways that you can cope with your social anxiety so that it does not negatively affect your relationships and lifestyle. As you learn more about how to cope with your social anxiety in anxiety therapy in Winter Garden, you can thrive in your life. Contact us to hear about our approach to therapy today.
