When you go to an event and are surrounded by people that you do not know, it is completely normal to feel a little anxious. Everyone gets anxious when they try new things, but for some people, it’s not just a little anxiety, and it completely disrupts your life. Social anxiety is something that most people have experienced when doing new things, but some people struggle with more than others and cannot function in a social setting without intense anxiety, and it is an actual disorder. I have struggled with social anxiety my whole life because I don’t leave my home very often and don’t go to a lot of social events where I would be around people that I don’t know. My social anxiety used to control my life, and I would refuse to go to any event where I didn’t know everyone there because I felt out of control. Severe anxiety is what triggers my seizures, and it wasn’t until I learned how to cope with my anxiety that I stopped having seizures and was able to come off my meds. How can you cope with social anxiety? In this post, I am sharing a few things that you can do to improve your social anxiety or any anxiety in general.
Go to social events- When you struggle with social anxiety, sometimes people think that they should be avoiding social events at all costs, and I used to think that way too. It wasn’t until I realized that avoiding all social situations was making my social anxiety worse, because if you want social anxiety to stop, control your life, you have to put yourself in social situations. You don’t have to force yourself to go to big events that have hundreds of people, and you know no one, but I would recommend that you don’t do that because it will be overwhelming. Start with small family functions where you may not know everyone, but you know some people, and as you start to feel less anxious, work your way up to larger events. Recently, I went to an event where I knew some people, but most people I had never met before, which is something I would have never done five years ago. I wasn’t the chattiest one there and didn’t think I would be, but it is so important to do things slightly out of your comfort zone because the more you do, the less anxiety you will have.
Ask yourself “What is the worst thing that can happen?”- When you struggle with anxiety, a lot of the time, you create scenarios in your head about all the bad things that can happen that never do. I used to do that and would have major anxiety attacks at almost every social event, and then I started asking myself, “What is the worst thing that can happen?” If it’s not dying or some kind of natural disaster, then you are probably going to survive and be okay. Sometimes our brains create these irrational fears, which is why it can be helpful to give yourself a pet talk so you can get through it.
Speak to a therapist- Most people who get anxious before social events do not have a social anxiety disorder and can find ways to cope without a therapist. It is not normal to not be able to function in social settings because avoiding all social situations is not a solution. Social anxiety is not a problem for most people, but it can be a mental illness that needs guidance from a professional to improve. Therapy can be a good option for people who have severe social anxiety because your therapist can teach you coping strategies and help you through it. There is no shame in therapy because everyone has their own struggles, and we all could use a little help sometimes. It is so important to get the support you need to get better because severe anxiety doesn’t have to control your life, and support is possible.
Invest in a weighted blanket- Weighted blankets can help people who struggle with anxiety, and if you don’t have one, I would invest in one. A weighted blankets help people with anxiety by applying pressure that mimics a hug, which helps calm the nervous system. I don’t use my weighted blanket very often, but I have used one before, and it does truly help calm your anxiety if you are feeling anxious. Weighted blankets come in different shapes and sizes, and not everyone is going to use the same weight because it depends on your body weight. The rule of thumb is to use a blanket that is around ten percent of your body weight because you want to make sure you can lift it off of you, but not too light that it’s not effective.
Walk away and breathe- When I am at a social event and am starting to feel overwhelmed sometimes, I will walk away to an area where there are no people. I sometimes need to take a minute to breathe, and if I am really emotional, I will count backwards from ten to calm myself down. I haven’t had to walk away from a social event in a while, but when I was healing my social anxiety, I got super overwhelmed and had to walk away from many social events to take a deep breath because sometimes you have to give yourself a little time-out.
Bring someone with you to social events– If you struggle with anxiety and have to go to an event where you won’t know anyone, it might be a good idea to ask a friend or family member to come with you. Having a familiar face with you at events can help you feel more comfortable and a little less overwhelmed. Don’t go to social events alone, and invite a friend to come with you because social settings are always so much better when you have a friend to talk to.
Move your body- Some people love to do yoga when they are feeling anxiety because it can help control their breathing and reduce anxiety. I have never done Yoga for anxiety because it is often inaccessible to me, and I have never found relief through meditation. I will move my body when I am anxious because sitting around thinking about my anxiety makes things worse.
When you have social anxiety, it can be hard to enjoy social events because your intense anxiety is making you overthink things. I still sometimes struggle with social anxiety, and by no means am I cured from it, but it no longer controls me because I have found ways to cope with it. You deserve to have fun in a social setting, but you aren’t going to have fun if you have intense anxiety and all you want to do is leave. If you struggle with struggle, avoidance is the worst thing you can do because you will never heal if you don’t do things that make you a little uncomfortable. One of the best things I did for my anxiety was doing things that were a little out of my comfort zone because great things don’t happen in comfort zones. Anxiety does not just miraculously disappear, and you have to actively work on it to get better. How do you cope with social anxiety? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
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