instance: “the crowd is bigger than it
is; the people are smarter or wealthier, or I don’t fit in here”. All of these
are things that people can convince
themselves of –sometimes even subconsciously- that lead to more anxiety. Try instead to be calm and talk
your way through the given situation
in a positive manner. You can often
learn to manage or overcome exactly
what you believe you can.
3. Take Small Steps
Coping with social anxiety is often
done one step at a time. Be willing
to tackle it in this manner. Learning to decrease your anxiety a little
at a time will make the entire process of coping or overcoming much
easier. In addition, the processes will
become new habits formed, and you
will best be able continue on your
path of wellness and change.
INSIGHT
4. Fake it
Believe it or not, one of the best
ways to overcome the anxiety felt in
many situations is simply to act as if
you are confident and have it under
control. Believe it or not there are
other people who have social anxiety
who may also be in the same surroundings with you. You just don’t
know it because they don’t show it.
Pretending to be confident can lead
to really being confident once you
realize that a given situation is not as
bad as it initially seemed.
5. Take a Wingman…or
Woman
For those with social anxiety many
situations involving new people,
crowds, or taking on situations one
may be less comfortable in can often
be made better simply by having a
friend or family member by your
November 2013
side. This familiar person will often
greatly decrease much of the anxiety
of being alone or standing out in a
place or setting that would otherwise
seem to be out of your element. Try
it. You may be surprised how well it
can work for you.
6. Fake it
Believe it or not, one of the best
ways to overcome the anxiety felt in
many situations is simply to act as if
you are confident and have it under
control. Believe it or not there are
other people who have social anxiety
who may also be in the same surroundings with you. You just don’t
know it because they don’t show it.
Pretending to be confident can lead
to really being confident once you
realize that a given situation is not as
bad as it initially seemed.
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