How To Overcome Social Anxiety Using These 5 Tips

Social anxiety can be difficult to live with, but it can be possible to overcome it, particularly with the help of a professional like a licensed therapist. If you have social anxiety disorder, it may be beneficial to challenge and counter negative thoughts, focus on others rather than yourself, give yourself small challenges in social situations, limit unhealthy foods and habits, and try yoga or meditation. Seeking the guidance of a mental health professional is often beneficial, and online therapy can be an option if you find it challenging to attend therapy sessions in person.

What Is Social Anxiety?

While it can be normal to feel nervous in certain situations, such as a job interview or a public speaking engagement, it is generally not typical to experience social phobia and intense anxiety during everyday situations. What is social phobia? A social anxiety disorder usually involves severe fear or distress regarding social situations. A person may worry that people will harshly judge them or reject them. These symptoms may be so severe that they hinder a person’s daily life.

The APA generally defines social anxiety as “an anxiety disorder that is characterized by extreme and persistent social anxiety or performance anxiety that causes significant distress or prevents participation in social activities. The feared situation is most often avoided altogether, or else it is endured with marked discomfort or dread.”

While there may be no simple cure for social anxiety disorder, there are usually proven treatment options that can alleviate symptoms. Symptoms may include a persistent fear of being judged or humiliated in specific social situations and excessive anxiety that does not appropriately match the tone of the situation. People living with social anxiety sometimes enroll in social anxiety online therapy or obtain medication to manage the symptoms of their anxiety disorder.

Social anxiety can be triggered in a variety of situations, such as:

• Using public restrooms
• Entering a room filled with people
• Eating in front of someone else
• Attending class
• Going to work
• Starting a conversation
• Dating
• Going to a party
• Making eye contact with someone
• Speaking in public or giving a speech to a large group of people
• Talking to strangers

While these situations may not seem significant to some people, they can still cause anxiety and apprehension in people living with social phobia.

Common Causes Of Social Anxiety

Like most mental health disorders, social anxiety disorder is likely caused by interactions among a variety of biological and environmental factors. Common causes typically stem from inherited traits, an overactive amygdala, and learned behavior. 

Genetic Predisposition

Mental health issues, such as social anxiety, can run in families. However, researchers aren’t entirely sure whether this occurs due to genetics or learned behavior.

Overactive Amygdala

The amygdala, a structure in the brain that is normally involved with controlling the fear response, is sometimes overactive in individuals with a social anxiety disorder. Patients with an overactive amygdala tend to experience a heightened fear response, often resulting in increased levels of anxiety during social situations.

Past Events

Past social situations that ended in embarrassment may cause people to develop a social anxiety disorder.

Environmental Factors

Parents who display anxieties and phobias toward specific social situations may pass these tendencies on to their children. Children of overprotective or over-controlling parents may also develop social anxiety.

Symptoms Of Social Anxiety

Social anxiety can present itself through emotional, behavioral, and physical symptoms. Common symptoms of a social anxiety disorder often include the following:

• Avoiding social situations that might place you at the center of attention
• Feelings of intense fear and anxiety regarding talking to strangers
• Fear of placing oneself in situations where one might be judged
• Sweating and trembling
• Inability to catch one’s breath
• Fear of feeling anxious in social situations, can increase one’s anxiety
• Blanking during a stressful or anxiety-including social situation
• Clinginess or tantrums in children
• Body shaking and tremors
• Feelings of low self-esteem

What To Do If You Have Social Anxiety Disorder

If you think you have social anxiety disorder, it’s generally recommended to reach out to your primary care physician or a mental health professional for an appointment. Your doctor will likely try to rule out other conditions that could be causing your anxiety. During your appointment, your physician may perform a physical exam, discuss your symptoms, and review social situations that could be causing your anxiety. 

To make a diagnosis for social anxiety disorder, patients must generally experience persistent fear or apprehension toward specific social situations, avoidance of anxiety-inducing situations, and excessive anxiety that interferes with their lives.

Therapists often provide recommendations for strategies and lifestyle changes to manage symptoms that people with social anxiety disorder can implement in their daily lives. A few common recommendations may include:  

1. Challenge And Counter Your Negative Thoughts

People with social anxiety tend to experience negative and intrusive thoughts. They may fear that a certain social situation could make them look stupid or that they will embarrass themselves in front of a large group of people. Challenging or countering these thoughts can be an effective method for managing social anxiety.

Many patients with social anxiety also fall into the trap of engaging in unhelpful thinking styles. They might catastrophize an event or take others’ behavior personally. 

To disengage from these thoughts, patients with social anxiety must usually identify any underlying negative thoughts they may be holding. They should then analyze and challenge them. By logically evaluating their thoughts and emotions, those with social anxiety may eventually stop these negative thoughts and replace them with more realistic, positive ones.

2. Keep Your Focus On Others Instead Of Yourself

People with social anxiety tend to get “caught up” in their own discomfort. As a result, they may struggle to focus on the people around them instead of themselves. When they focus too much on their fear and apprehension, people with social anxiety can induce extra anxiety and stress on themselves.

To minimize this, try to focus your attention on those around you. Try to focus on what the other person is saying rather than tune into the negative thoughts that may be nagging you. Social anxiety can be difficult to cope with, but try to focus on the present moment. As you continue to practice this, your social anxiety may eventually become easier to manage.

3. Give Yourself Small Challenges

While it may seem counterintuitive, seeking out new relationships and finding supportive social environments may help. If you keep it simple, like saying “hello” to your co-workers or asking them what they did over the weekend, engaging others in a “safe” environment may help you manage social anxiety. 

As your efforts become easier, try to continue cultivating your new relationships. Some patients who struggle with social anxiety may even take social skills classes or volunteer with small groups of people for social contact.

4. Limit Unhealthy Foods And Habits

Your diet may have a significant impact on your mental health, as well as your ability to manage your social anxiety. Try to avoid consuming excessive amounts of caffeine from coffee or soda, as it can increase your symptoms of anxiety. Try to drink only in moderation, and avoid smoking if possible. Both alcohol and nicotine can worsen your social anxiety and its accompanying symptoms.

5. Try Alternative Treatments, Such As Meditation And Yoga

Meditation and yoga can also be extremely helpful for people with social anxiety. Try pairing these practices with at least 30 minutes of exercise a day to help manage your social anxiety.

Therapeutic Treatments For Social Anxiety

Patients can choose from a wide variety of treatments for social anxiety disorder.

• Prescription medications
• Psychoanalysis
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), potentially including exposure, cognitive restructuring, and social skills training

A licensed mental health professional will likely recommend a specific treatment for your social anxiety disorder based on your circumstances, health history, and the type of symptoms you have. Never start or stop any form of medication without the guidance of a licensed medical professional.

Getting Help

It can be essential for people experiencing social anxiety disorder to speak to a mental health professional. Attempting to treat oneself may not only be difficult, but it can also be ineffective in some cases. While the idea of social anxiety group therapy may sound intimidating to some with social anxiety, it may be one way to face fear in a non-judgmental environment.

However, by nature, social anxiety disorder usually makes it difficult to be around others, and for some, a social anxiety disorder may even make it difficult to leave the house. One of the best solutions for this barrier to treatment may be to engage in therapy online instead of in person. 

Benefits Of Online Therapy

If you believe you’d benefit from professional help but don’t feel comfortable meeting with a therapist in person, online therapy may be a good solution for you. You can speak to a licensed mental health professional via phone, online chat, or video chat from the comfort of your home or anywhere you feel safe, as long as you have an internet connection. 

Effectiveness Of Online Therapy

Online therapy can be as effective as in-person therapy for treating conditions such as social anxiety disorders, and many prefer online therapy for convenience. A 2022 study found that online therapy was generally equally effective to in-person therapy for treating social anxiety disorder.