Social Anxiety: Navigating Social Situations With Social Anxiety

The human mind works in mysterious yet fascinating ways. It allows you to think, feel, remember, and
analyze. Without it, the beauty of life can’t be enjoyed. People’s personality is based on their
psychology. However, many people face psychological problems, but these issues don’t define them as a
whole. Getting help from professional psychotherapists can help with managing the symptoms of these
issues. One of the most common psychological issues is social anxiety.

Imagine you’re about to meet new people or go to a conference, but your heart starts racing. This may
be normal for some, but what if the feeling of nervousness is so bad it affects the way you interact?
Think about not going to your favorite parties due to fear and stressing over in social situations to the
point that you jeopardize your peace of mind. If you feel excessively shy, are scared of public gatherings,
or fear being judged to the extent that it affects your everyday life, you have social anxiety. The stigma
with psychological issues often makes it difficult for people to cope with them, but rest assured therapy
is there to help. Individual therapy is excellent for people who seek the help of therapists and want to
work on anxiety management skills.

What Is Social Anxiety?

Social anxiety is the fear of any type of social interaction. Many people panic and get anxious before
new events, but that does not usually affect their long-term behavior. However, social anxiety is far
more intense. It affects everyday situations even when you’ve gotten used to them. It is an intense fear
of getting judged, scrutinized, or made fun of in public.

Signs and Symptoms of Social Anxiety

The signs and symptoms of social anxiety have multiple manifestations. They can be physical,
behavioral, or systemic. Hence, it is crucial to listen to your body. If you have any of the following signs,
you should get expert advice immediately.

Psychological
 Excessive self-consciousness
 Getting excessively nervous in everyday social interactions
 Intense worrying way before the actual event
 Fear of being judged by unknown people
 Fear that you will embarrass yourself in front of everyone
 Fear of being watched

Behavioral
 Avoiding social events to the extent that it affects your life
 Feeling weird and hiding to stay unnoticed
 Always asking your friends to go with you no matter what

Physical and Systemic

 Muscle aches
 Fatigue
 Racing heart
 Loss of libido
 Upset stomach

How to Navigate the Social Situation With Social Anxiety

Feeling weird in new situations is not something to panic about, but life can be hard if you suffer from
social anxiety. It affects your life and mental health. Besides, the nagging and teasing of people who
don’t understand psychological issues are way worse. However, social anxiety is not unmanageable. If
you feel like you experience social anxiety here are some tips and steps to help you prepare yourself and
navigate social situations while having anxiety:

Get Rid of Negative Thoughts

The first step to deal with social situations if you have anxiety issues is to get rid of negative thoughts.
Anxiety keeps feeding negativity to your mind. Stand up to the fears and say, “NO MORE!” Get rid of the
negative thoughts telling you that people will dislike you or judge you. All of us are humans, and humans
are flawed. No one is perfect. Accept the way you are and learn to love yourself. Don’t stress about what
will happen and try thinking about what to do at the moment. Anxiety issues feed on your fear and
negative emotions. Try to be positive, and they will go away on their own gradually.

Divert Your Attention

Social anxiety occurs when you overthink and get nervous about whether you’re doing everything right
or not. Feeling strange about oneself kills confidence. Diverting attention towards other people can be
healthy as it keeps you safe from overthinking and getting anxious. It doesn’t mean that you should
judge others but maybe try noticing their good habits and ambitions. Not only will this help you in
socializing effectively, but also help in reducing your anxiety levels.

Focus on Breathing Maneuvers

You must have seen it in movies that people suggest each other to breathe when they’re overly stressed
or nervous. It turns out that this technique is applicable in real life as well. Breathing maneuvers can
help you calm down your racing heart and relax your mind. Whenever you feel palpitations, focus on
your breathing. Slow down the number of breaths and make each breath long and deep. Deep breathing
allows better absorption of oxygen into your blood, reduces dizziness, and soothes muscle stiffness. It is
a great way to let your tension fade away. It is all about training your mind. While you use deep
breathing, consider that the fears and tension are getting off your head and body with each exhaled
breath. Sounds interesting, right?

Modify Your Lifestyle Habits

Lifestyle habits have a lot to do with anxiety levels. The effects of anxiety on the body can be quite
adverse. Excessive caffeine intake, smoking, irregular sleep patterns act as contributing factors to social
anxiety. Have you ever noticed the change in your behavior after taking excess coffee? Well! If you have
anxiety, it will cause you many more problems than a lack of sleep and moodiness. Adopt a healthy diet
and witness its wonders. Exercise is also a great way to reduce stress and anxiety levels. An active
lifestyle keeps you fit, healthy and boosts self-confidence. People who experience social anxiety should
modify their activities of daily living and see the magic themselves!

Effective Therapies for Social Anxiety

A successful therapy program for social anxiety must include different methods and concepts to change
people’s perceptions and thinking. Therapists have to use specific and necessary strategies to make
people accept more rational beliefs and emotions.

Cognitive-behavioral Therapy
Of all the professional treatments available, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy has proven to be the most
effective for dealing with social anxiety. It is based on the fact that your thinking affects your feelings.
With this therapy, you’ll learn to control the physical symptoms of anxiety, challenge negative emotions,
and face your fears gradually.

Trauma Therapy
Psychotherapy service for trauma is suitable for people who encounter social anxiety due to painful
experiences and traumatic events such as abandonment, rape, violence, or emotional abuse. Therapists
aim to provide a healing environment where you can vocalize and clear traumatic memories.

Teletherapy
You don’t have to visit the psychotherapist’s office to get professional help. Thanks to technology, you
can get therapy sessions online via Teletherapy services while sitting in the comfort of your favorite
couch.

How to Find Help?

Social anxiety and other psychological issues can be successfully dealt with by seeking support from
professional counselors and therapists. The good news is that the therapists at MindShift make sure to
understand your problem thoroughly and help you deal with it. Choose MindShift Psychological
services and say goodbye to the fear of social interaction!