Managing Social Anxiety: Tips for Navigating Social Situations with Confidence
Social anxiety is real. It affects over 15 million Americans, and according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, it's going to keep increasing. With the Internet being the source of so much information, it's easy to find information on things that might cause social anxiety.
Fortunately, social anxiety is treatable. I'll share some tips to manage your social anxiety and navigate social situations with confidence.
Tip #1: Remember Your Values
Take a moment to think about what values you hold most dear. Maybe you hold family values close to your heart. If so, this tip is easy to understand. If your top value is a healthy mind, consider that your health may be an issue.
It could be that your body is not in the best shape, or that you're taking too many risks. Whatever it may be, you want to remind yourself that what matters most in life isn't how fast you can run a mile, but the ability to face the unknown.
Tip #2: Keep a Journal
Keeping a journal can help you learn from your mistakes and become more aware of your strengths and weaknesses. Try writing down a journal entry every single day for 30 days. By the end of the month, you'll have written down your personal struggles and come to understand yourself better.
Your entries can also help you understand the relationships between yourself and the people around you. For instance, if you have trouble talking to someone new, a journal can help you figure out why and how you've gotten so shy.
Tip #3: Build Up Your Self-Esteem
It's easy to compare yourself to others and feel like you're lacking. When you look in the mirror, you see a person that is capable of more than others.
The challenge is realizing your own abilities and strengths, not that of others. It doesn't matter how good someone else is. What matters is how far you can go. If you're afraid of getting rejected by a date, you need to remember that you can't control the reaction someone else has to you.
To increase your self-esteem, try to look at yourself with admiration. Focus on the strengths you have rather than the weaknesses.
Tip #4: Don't Just Face Your Fear, Understand It
The first step to solving any problem is understanding it. This is especially true when it comes to overcoming social anxiety.
Social anxiety doesn't mean you're bad or defective. It just means that you don't know everything yet. If you spend time figuring out exactly what it is, you can overcome your fears.
If you feel like you're a different person than the one you want to be, take some time to realize why. Is it because you don't know what to say? Are you worried about offending someone?
If you can pinpoint the reasons behind your anxiety, you can figure out what to do about them. For example, you may have a fear of saying something wrong. You can stop worrying about this and start learning how to speak