How To Get Over Social Anxiety: Effective Self-Care Tips & Therapy Methods To Manage Your Anxiety

How Common Is Social Anxiety In Adults.

Social anxiety, also known as social phobia, is a prevalent mental health condition affecting millions worldwide. It is characterized by a persistent fear of social situations, which can lead to avoidance or extreme discomfort. So how common is social anxiety in adults?

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), social anxiety disorder affects approximately 7.1% of adults in the United States annually. This translates to about 15 million adults who experience social anxiety at some point in their lives. It is worth noting that this statistic only accounts for diagnosed cases of social anxiety disorder, and many people may not seek treatment or receive a formal diagnosis.

Social anxiety can affect people of all ages, but it often emerges during adolescence or early adulthood. As per studies by NIMH, the prevalence of Social Anxiety Disorder among women was around 8% compared to men (6.1%). Women are also more likely than men to be diagnosed with social anxiety disorder.

While social anxiety is a common condition, it is treatable. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), medication, and other forms of psychotherapy effectively treat social anxiety. Lifestyle changes, such as exercise, mindfulness, and stress reduction techniques, may also help manage symptoms of social anxiety, which we will discuss in detail in our coming sections. 

Ways To Overcome Social Anxiety

Social anxiety disorder can be challenging to manage, but some strategies can help reduce symptoms and improve your quality of life. Here are a few ways to overcome social anxiety:

• Get out: Even if it feels uncomfortable, try to push yourself to engage in social situations. Gradually increasing exposure to anxiety-provoking situations can help desensitize you to them.
• Keep a journal: Writing down your thoughts and feelings can help you understand your triggers and coping strategies.
• Live a healthy lifestyle: Exercise regularly, eat a balanced diet, and get enough sleep. These habits can help reduce stress and improve overall well-being.
• Set goals: Breaking larger goals into smaller, manageable steps can help you build confidence and a sense of achievement.
• Reward yourself: Celebrate your accomplishments, even small ones, to reinforce positive behaviors.
• Make one change: Focus on making one small change at a time rather than tackling everything simultaneously.
• Embrace "alone time": Taking time for yourself is okay when needed.
• Practice social skills: Learning and practicing social skills, such as assertiveness and active listening, can help improve confidence and reduce anxiety in social situations.

Overcoming social anxiety is a process that takes time and effort. Experimenting with different strategies and seeking support from a mental health professional can help you develop effective coping mechanisms and manage symptoms. These tips are simple and short-term techniques to overcome social phobia or anxiety disorder. There are many other methods in which you can overcome social anxiety effectively, which we have categorized here into two: self-care techniques and ways of overcoming it by consulting a therapist or mental health professional. Let's look at these ways to deal with social phobia.

1. Self-Care Methods

Role-Play To Manage Anxiety

Social anxiety can prevent you from fully participating in social situations and enjoying social activities. It would help if you acted out social situations in a safe and controlled environment, allowing you to practice and develop your social skills. Role-playing is an effective method to overcome social anxiety.

To get started with role-playing, it's essential first to identify specific social situations that trigger anxiety. These could include initiating conversations with strangers, giving presentations, or attending social events. Once these situations have been identified, you can start practicing role-play scenarios that mimic these situations.

During the role-play, you can act out different roles and practice various social skills, such as initiating conversations, maintaining eye contact, and using appropriate body language. It's important to remember that the goal of role-playing is not to be perfect but to learn and improve social skills. To make role-playing more effective, you can also enlist the help of a friend or therapist to act as the other person in the scenario. They can provide feedback and guidance on areas that need improvement.

Over time, you can gradually increase the difficulty of the scenarios and challenge yourself to face more challenging social situations. With consistent practice and persistence, role-playing can be an effective tool for improving social skills.

Having Healthy Habits in Place

Developing healthy habits can significantly help reduce social anxiety's impact on you. Here are some steps that you can take to improve your mental health and how to get over social anxiety.

• Regular exercise is an excellent way to manage anxiety. Exercise releases endorphins that promote well-being and reduce stress and anxiety levels. Engaging in physical activity such as jogging, swimming, or yoga can be an effective way to alleviate symptoms of social anxiety.

• Getting enough sleep is essential for good mental health. Sleep deprivation can exacerbate anxiety symptoms and lead to irritability and fatigue. Developing good sleep habits, such as sticking to a regular sleep schedule, avoiding caffeine and electronics before bedtime, and creating a relaxing sleep environment, can be beneficial in managing social anxiety.

• A healthy diet is also essential for managing social anxiety. While foods rich in vitamins and nutrients can help reduce anxiety symptoms. Foods that are high in sugar and caffeine can increase feelings of anxiety. 

• Stress-reducing techniques such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, or progressive muscle relaxation can also be beneficial in managing social anxiety. These techniques help calm the mind and reduce the physical symptoms of anxiety.

Incorporating these healthy habits into your daily routine can improve your mental well-being and overcome anxiety disorder. 

Challenge Negative Thoughts

Social anxiety often stems from negative thoughts and beliefs about oneself and others. These thoughts can create a cycle of fear and avoidance that prevents individuals from fully engaging in social situations. Challenging negative thoughts and replacing them with more positive and realistic ones is the best way to get over this anxious feeling.

To start challenging negative thoughts, it's essential to identify them first. This can be done by keeping a journal or paying attention to the thoughts that arise during social situations. Once negative thoughts have been identified, you can question the evidence supporting them and challenge them with more realistic and positive thoughts.

For example, if you think you are unlikable or that others are judging you, you can challenge these thoughts by asking yourself what evidence supports these beliefs. You can also consider alternative explanations for other people's behavior, such as that they are distracted or preoccupied with their thoughts.

By challenging and replacing these negative thoughts with more positive and realistic ones, you can improve your self-esteem and reduce your anxiety levels. 

Explore What Triggers Anxiety

It's essential to explore the specific triggers that lead to feelings of anxiety and discomfort in social situations. By understanding these triggers, you can develop strategies to manage your anxiety and gradually face your fears.

One effective way to explore social anxiety triggers is to keep a journal or record of situations that cause anxiety. This could include social events, interactions with specific people, or even thoughts or memories that bring up feelings of anxiety.

Exploring what triggers anxiety is essential to overcome social phobia and fear. Once triggers have been identified, you can examine the thoughts and beliefs contributing to your anxiety. It's also helpful to practice exposure therapy, which involves gradually exposing oneself to feared situations in a safe and controlled environment which we will discuss in detail in our next section. 

Practice Relaxation Techniques

Relaxation techniques can help calm the mind and reduce physical symptoms of anxiety, such as rapid heartbeat and sweating.

One relaxation technique that can be helpful is deep breathing. This involves taking slow, deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth, focusing on the sensation of the air entering and leaving your body. You can do this for a few minutes before and during social gatherings to help reduce anxiety.

Another technique is progressive muscle relaxation, which involves tensing and relaxing different muscle groups. This can help release tension and reduce feelings of anxiety. You can start with your feet and work up to your head, tensing each muscle group for a few seconds before releasing the tension.

Meditation and mindfulness practices can also help reduce anxiety. This involves focusing your attention on the present moment without judgment or distraction. This can help reduce racing thoughts and promote a sense of calm. Finally, engaging in activities that you find relaxing and enjoyable, such as reading, taking a bath, or listening to music, can also help reduce feelings of anxiety and promote a sense of well-being.

Limit Alcohol

Using alcohol as a coping skill to manage social anxiety symptoms may provide temporary relief, but it can also lead to increased anxiety and dependency on alcohol. Over time, relying on alcohol to manage anxiety can make it harder to socialize without drinking and may even lead to alcohol addiction.

If you are struggling with social anxiety, it may be helpful to limit your alcohol usage. Mindful drinking can be an effective way to do this. This approach involves knowing why and how much you drink and how it affects you.

One way to practice mindful drinking is to limit the amount of alcohol you consume. You might choose to have only one drink at a social event, or you might decide to avoid alcohol altogether. By practicing mindful drinking and developing other coping strategies, you can learn to manage your social anxiety without relying on alcohol. This can help you feel more in control of your anxiety and more confident in social situations.

Let Go Off Not-So-Helpful Coping Tactics 

Social anxiety can be a difficult challenge to overcome, but avoiding coping tactics that keep your participation in social situations superficial is essential. For instance, avoiding conversation and keeping busy in the kitchen or at the edges of a group can provide temporary relief, but it doesn't address the root of the problem.

Instead, it's essential to consciously engage with others and let go of these not-so-helpful coping tactics. This might not feel easy initially, but the eventual payoff of improved relationships is well worth it.

By letting go of not-so-helpful coping tactics, you can feel more comfortable and confident in social situations. This can lead to improved relationships and a more fulfilling social life.

Now these are all the strategies you can use to overcome social anxiety alone. However, if you are looking for long-term relief, getting in touch with a mental health therapist who can work out a few personalized treatment plans to cope with social anxiety is a must. Let's look closer at the methods therapists or counselors will provide to help you overcome social anxiety disorder.

   II. Overcome Social Anxiety with Therapy

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of therapy that is often used to treat social anxiety. CBT therapists focus on identifying and changing negative thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to social anxiety.

One of the first steps in CBT for social anxiety is to identify negative thought patterns. This might include thoughts such as "I'm not good enough" or "People will think I'm weird." Once these negative thoughts have been identified, CBT therapists will work with you to challenge and reframe them.

CBT for social anxiety typically involves a structured program that may include weekly therapy sessions and homework assignments. You can learn to manage your social anxiety symptoms and improve your quality of life with practice and consistency.

Exposure Therapy

Exposure therapy is a critical component of CBT for social anxiety. This therapy involves gradually exposing the person to social situations that make them anxious, starting with low-risk situations and gradually building up to high-risk ones.

The therapist may start with "imaginal exposure," where you visualize yourself in a social situation and talk through how you would handle any anxious feelings that arise. Then, you are gradually exposed to low-risk social situations such as going to the grocery store or the movies.

Exposure therapy aims to help you become desensitized to social situations that previously caused anxiety. By gradually facing your fears, you can learn to manage anxiety and engage in social situations more easily. Once you have successfully navigated low-risk situations, you can move on to medium and, eventually, high-risk situations.

Psychodynamic therapy

Psychodynamic therapy is a form of therapy that delves into the psychological roots of emotional distress. It focuses on unconscious thoughts and perceptions developed during childhood that influence behavior later in life. Through self-reflection and self-examination, this therapy aims to help you recognize and understand these deep-rooted feelings.

The American Psychological Association notes that psychodynamic therapy can effectively treat social anxiety disorder. Studies show that it can be comparable to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in terms of efficacy, providing both short-term and long-term benefits. 

By exploring the underlying causes of social anxiety, psychodynamic therapy can help you better understand yourself and your emotions. This type of therapy may benefit individuals who have experienced trauma or deep-seated emotional issues. 

Mindfulness-Based Stress reduction therapy

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is another type of therapy that can benefit individuals who struggle with social anxiety. MBSR combines mindfulness meditation, yoga, and other techniques to help you become more aware of your thoughts and emotions. 

By focusing on the present moment and developing a non-judgmental attitude towards one's thoughts and feelings, you can learn to manage your anxiety more effectively. Research has shown that MBSR can reduce symptoms of social anxiety and improve overall well-being. 

Practicing MBSR can be done in a group or individually and often involves daily meditation and mindful exercises.

By now, you might have got the gist of overcoming social anxiety with the help of anxiety therapy and self-care techniques. It is essential to note that these methods are only effective when practiced under the supervision and by developing a sound knowledge of the techniques. As for therapy, finding the right mental health therapist is the ultimate key to successful sessions.

Conclusion

Social anxiety can be a debilitating condition that affects many aspects of your life, from work to relationships and beyond. However, it is treatable, and you can overcome it with the right tools and support. Self-care practices, such as exercise, mindfulness, and deep breathing, can effectively manage social anxiety symptoms. In addition, therapy methods like CBT, psychodynamic therapy, and mindfulness-based stress reduction can provide long-term relief. 

Seeking help is not a sign of weakness but rather a brave and proactive step towards living a more fulfilling life. So, if you are struggling with social anxiety, don't hesitate to seek professional support.