{"id":16509,"date":"2016-01-27T10:33:37","date_gmt":"2016-01-27T10:33:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.anfocal.ie\/?p=16509"},"modified":"2016-01-27T10:33:37","modified_gmt":"2016-01-27T10:33:37","slug":"mind-your-mental-health-6-social-anxiety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.anfocal.ie\/index.php\/mind-your-mental-health-6-social-anxiety\/","title":{"rendered":"Mind your mental health 6: Social anxiety"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
By Aisling O\u2019Connor<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Everybody experiences anxiety to a certain degree. It\u2019s perfectly normal to feel nervous meeting new people, doing presentations, trying new things etc. however when does it become too much? Social anxiety includes symptoms such as avoiding social situations, worrying for prolonged periods of time about oncoming events, dread of public speaking or speaking on the phone, self-consciousness, fear of embarrassment, feelings of being judged or irritating others, and physical symptoms such as shaking, difficulty breathing, and increased heart-rate, nausea, blushing, and sweating.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
For someone experiencing social anxiety, even ordering food or going to a checkout in a shop is a difficult endeavour. The sufferer often isolates themselves and misses out on meeting new people and memories. However, like always, we have some tips for you:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
Challenge negative thoughts. Thoughts such as \u201cNo one will like me\u201d, \u201cI\u2019m annoying\u201d \u201cI\u2019ll do something stupid\/embarrass myself\u201d may arise, ask yourself where the logic and reasoning behind these thoughts is. Is there any solid proof of any of these things being true? Exactly.<\/li>\n
Breathe. The way we breathe can do wonders for our mental state. Make yourself aware of the state of your breathing, if you find yourself taking short sharp breathes change it by inhaling deeply into your abdomen and exhaling slowly.<\/li>\n
Face your fear. Step out of your comfort zone by answering a question in class, accepting that party invitation, talking to someone new etc. it sounds easier said than done but by repeatedly challenging yourself you\u2019ll come to realise that it isn\u2019t as terrifying as you thought.<\/li>\n
Focus on others and what\u2019s going on as opposed to yourself. You are not the only person in this situation. What are other people doing or saying? What\u2019s going on around you?<\/li>\n
Remember that everything passes. We all make mistakes or feel like we\u2019ve said or done something wrong from time to time, but these moments pass. That time you slipped up ordering in Subway won\u2019t haunt you forever.<\/li>\n
The problem with social anxiety is when a simple situation is over analysed it appears much more sinister than it is, when you find yourself over thinking tell yourself to stop and divert your attention to something else.<\/li>\n
Rationalize. While it\u2019s easy to feel like embarrassment will be the end of the world when suffering with social anxiety keep in mind that feelings like this are catastrophizing. While, and I do not mean for this to come off as patronizing, you do feel extremely uncomfortable it won\u2019t kill you.<\/li>\n
Take note of how you feel and what triggers the anxiety. What situations make you feel the most anxious and try to pinpoint why. If you know what makes you anxious you can develop a strategy for dealing with it.<\/li>\n
Confidence. Social anxiety tells you that you\u2019re not a worthwhile or engaging person to be with, and tells you all sorts of horrible things about yourself but none of that is true. Compliment yourself, I\u2019m sure you\u2019re a lovely person to be around and have a ton of wonderful traits. Confidence goes a long way so believe in yourself.<\/li>\n
Like always, it\u2019s always beneficial to consult others and professionals so be sure to chat to friends and family about how you feel, and if you think counseling or medication is the route for you then go for it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"mental](\"http:\/\/www.anfocal.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/mental-health-570x341.jpg\")
<\/p>\n