University, School, That New Job … Hello Change And Hello Social Anxiety.
it’s the time of year when for many people, we are approaching new beginnings, Whether it’s starting a new school, or heading off to University, as we spiral towards September, it can bring up social anxiety for us. If you or a loved one, are struggling with social anxiety, and it’s related to something new, a change, that is coming up for you, here is what you can do about it.
Make friends with social anxiety and take the power away from it.
The first advice that I would give to you, is to make friends with social anxiety, Or any anxiety, fears or worry, for that matter. When we try to push it away, it can make things feel even worse for us. We may feel guilt or shame for example, about even having social anxiety, When faced with a new social situation, it’s normal to experience some anxiety. So be kind and gentle with yourself, and allow there to be time and space to deal with this,
Be honest with yourself about what you are afraid of? Disarm your social anxiety
What is it that you are afraid of? Write that down, and then ask yourself, what is the worst possible thing that could happen if you found yourself in that situation, Then ask yourself how you could handle that. Write the steps that you would take down on a piece of paper. Applying logic to an emotionally loaded situation can turn things around quicker.
Social anxiety is often linked to an underlying fear, being afraid of finding yourself in a situation and not knowing how to manage it, So be one step ahead. Face your fear and reassure yourself that you can handle it, this often takes a weight off your back and can reduce the triggers that surround social anxiety,
Create an action plan so that you never walk into a new situation blindly
If you are going away to University for example and social anxiety is building in you, think about some conversation starters and have some tools that you can take away with you, One great place to start is to look at building your confidence. And a good starting place, when it comes to social anxiety is to work on feeling comfortable with public speaking. Though we often associate a fear of public speaking with being on stage or speaking to a large audience it can actually relate to speaking to just one person
My book FACE YOUR FEAR OF PUBLIC SPEAKING is a great place to start with this. Check it out on Amazon.
Whatever is behind your social anxiety, know that help and tools are available and if it is something that affects your life on a regular basis then please do seek help for it, you can start by speaking to me, by booking a free phone call to get some clarity. Book your free phone consultation here and let’s look at how you can be anxiety free by working with me as a client.
Whatever it is that is coming up for you, whether it be school, University or a whole new career, I want to take this opportunity to wish you the best and to ask you to try and enjoy that new beginning! A time filled with new friendships and opportunities, all too often, we are so busy worrying about things that we forget to just be present in the moment and connect with it.
Have a great week and as always, I will speak to you soon
Chris
