Improving these skills may help individuals better cope with the thoughts and emotions that come with social anxiety.
This can help them feel more confident in social interactions.
For example, most people with social anxiety tend to adopt a “closed-off” stance.
Verywell / Kaley McKean
They may even have this stance without realizing it.
Learning how to have a relaxed posture (e.g.
Knowinghow to start conversations, keep them going, and listen attentively are helpful social anxiety coping skills.
For example, “Are you talking about the election results?
I couldn’t believe them either.”
Look for as many opportunities as possible to develop stronger verbal abilities.
Sharing the impact ofsocial anxiety symptomswith others can help them gain a better idea of this condition’s effects.
Practice Deep Breathing
Having social anxiety generally involves strong emotional reactions in social situations.
One way to reduce these anxious reactions is toput the body in a relaxed state.
Below are some steps to manage anxious and shallow breathing through adeep breathing exercise.
How to Practice Deep Breathing
When in social situations, breathe as practiced.
In time, this way of breathing may become more automatic.
Below are some steps to better managenegative thought patterns with social anxiety.
In addition, the number of situations feared grows as the fear becomes more general.
There are ways to overcome avoidance.
To start, identify the top 10 situations avoided.
For each situation on the list, break it down into a series of steps, increasing in difficulty.
If anxiety surfaces, challenge the negative thoughts and use the slow breathing technique to relax.
Note that the list created will depend on a person’s individual fears.
In this case, they would reverse items on the list.
Click below to listen now.
Avoiding these mistakes can keep from making things worse.
Don’t wait too long to seek help from a professional.
2018;13(11).
2019;28(2).
2019;88(1).
doi:10.1111/jopy.12455
Olson CM.Familial factors in the development of social anxiety disorder.J Psychosoc Nurs Mental Health Serv.
2021;59(7).
2020:237-254. doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-817752-5.00012-3
National Institute of Mental Health.Social Anxiety Disorder: More Than Just Shyness.
2020:193-219. doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-815915-6.00009-3
Glazier BL, Alden LE.Social anxiety disorder and memory for positive feedback.J Abnorm Psychol.
2019;128(3).
doi:10.1037/abn0000407
Abdollahi A.The association of rumination and perfectionism to social anxiety.Psychiatry.
2019;82(4).
doi:10.1080/00332747.2019.1608783
Masataka N.Anxiolytic effects of repeated cannabidiol treatment in teenagers with social anxiety disorders.Front Psychol.
2019;19(12):1179-1189. doi:10.1080/14737175.2019.1666713
