November 23
Social Anxiety Self Help
Do you experience Social anxiety when asked to do speak in front of people? Many people experience shyness and anxiousness when asked to do something in front of others. Social phobia sufferers are different in that they experience anxiety symptoms and have intense fears of being embarrassed in public.
Social phobia is an anxiety disorder is normally developed from a young age and affects absolutely millions of people. In nearly all cases, social anxiety disorder is treatable using behavioral therapy. Although symptoms of social phobia can be treated with medication there are better long term options.
In addition to treatments, sufferers can apply self help techniques to help them overcome social anxiety. Relaxation and visualization techniques can be highly effective especially when practiced regularly. When you vividly imagine something you’re nervous system reacts in the same way as when you’re actually doing it.
Our thoughts have a lot of control over our emotions. Hence why we experience anxiety symptoms just thinking about doing something that we fear. But the imagination can be used to produce positive behaviors as well as negative ones. Like riding a bike the brain makes stronger connections each time until it becomes a subconscious ability.
Top athletes train their mind as much as they train their bodies. Pro golfers practice their swing in their minds before actually taking a swing. Through mental practice they improve their ability just like through normal practice. Your behaviors can be changed using the imagination. The amazing thing is it can be used for practically anything including overcoming social anxiety in specific situations.
Let’s imagine that you have to give a presentation in a few days. On finding out you become very anxious and you start imagining how embarrassed you will be on the day. You might experience anxiety symptoms such as hot flashes, sweats, trembling and a pounding heart. When the day comes you’ve worked yourself into an anxious and terrified state and the meeting goes as badly as you imagined.
People with social anxiety self sabotage by thinking negative thoughts and imagine the worse that is going to happen. Practicing affirmations and visualization techniques can help you recondition the mind. In time with enough practice anyone can overcome their fears.
If it’s appropriate to do so use your imagination to boost your confidence right now. Find somewhere quiet to sit and close your eyes. Begin to breathe deeply and slowly, relaxing the muscles in your body. In your mind imagine what it would be like to be full of confidence and uninhibited in any social setting. How would you look, talk and feel? See yourself being respected and talked about in a positive way by other people.
In your mind take the new confident you into all areas of your life and see how great it would be to not suffer from Anxiety Symptoms. Reframe negative thoughts in your head so that they help you in a positive way. Tell yourself how confident and strong you are. Imagine yourself standing in front of everyone at your next meeting and giving an amazing presentation. Imagine everyone reacting positively and you full of confidence and charisma.
Keep building on this image for at least 5 minutes and then open your eyes when you’re done. Did you feel good? Giving a presentation now doesn’t seem as daunting as it did before. Practicing this everyday can do immense good. Remember that confidence is something that anyone can develop. Even if you feel anxious and nervous, project confidence, no one has to know. Just remember to stay calm, breathe and remember it will get easier each time.










