Monday, January 24, 2011

How Not to Be Afraid in Social Settings

 Learn how to overcome your fear and enjoy yourself in social situations.
Learn how to overcome your fear and enjoy yourself in social situations.
party people on the beach image by RedMartin from Fotolia.com

A fear of social settings can be overcome by practicing a number of techniques. Making small changes in your lifestyle may also help you diffuse feelings of anxiety. Suffering from a fear of social situations can simply indicate shyness, or it could be a symptom of social anxiety disorder. Social anxiety disorder may cause an individual to worry months before giving a public speech. Other symptoms of the disorder include fears of meeting new people, making small talk, going on dates, making phone calls and eating in public.
Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

   1. Avoid caffeine as this can raise anxiety levels. Sources of caffeine include coffee, energy drinks, chocolate and some varieties of tea. HelpGuide.com recommends that you quit smoking as nicotine is also a stimulant that may increase your anxiety levels. Avoid drinking alcohol before entering a social situation because alcohol consumption increases your chances of experiencing a panic attack. Sleep for eight hours every night since you are more likely to feel anxious when you are sleep deprived. Practice yoga or meditation on a regular basis to reduce your overall anxiety, and improve your confidence.
  
2.Learn how to calm yourself in social situations by practicing a breathing exercise. Breathe in through your nose for four seconds. Imagine you are breathing in to your stomach rather than in to your chest and feel your stomach rise. Hold the breath for two seconds and breathe out through the mouth for six seconds, pushing as much air out as you can. Repeat the exercise until you feel calm. During a stressful situation, use this exercise to calm you mentally and to diffuse any physical symptoms of anxiety that you may be experiencing, such as blushing, sweating, shaking or trembling.
 
 3.Challenge any negative thought that you have concerning an upcoming social event. Negative thoughts could include "my voice will tremble," "I'll feel embarrassed," "people will find me boring," "everyone will think I'm stupid" or "I'm going to mess up the presentation." Question each negative thought. For example "Do I know for certain that I will mess up the presentation?" Asking questions will help you to think logically, which will help you to stop thinking negatively about social situations.
 
4.  Face your fears gradually by exposing yourself to small groups of people who you feel comfortable around. Slowly progress to larger groups of people and situations where you will be able to meet new people. Make the transition easier by attending a social skills class, which you can find at your local adult education center. Volunteering to do something you enjoy, such as helping out at a local animal shelter on weekends, gives you an opportunity to surround yourself with like-minded people.

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