Many of us have something similar happen in social situations. Whether it’s a party or giving a speech, or going on a date it happens! You know what I’m talking about… you walk into a room full of people and all of a sudden you have sweaty palms. Your heart starts to race. Yeah… you know what I’m talking about. This has happened to everyone, but for people with social anxiety the stress of situations like this can prove to be debilitating.
People who suffer from social anxiety disorder often times avoid contact with groups of people all together. Those that don’t, often times have trouble making or maintaining eye contact. But how do you know your social issues have gone beyond just shyness?
It’s really about the self-consciousness, the significant fear and embarrassment from the perceived scrutiny by others. Maybe there is a history of mistreatment in the past like a bully in school, an abusive family or partner or an incident that caused extreme embarrassment or shame. These things create trauma in the brain and anxiety is the result.
Although situations present differently for everyone there are some general physical symptoms that may suggest social anxiety. According to WebMD, these symptoms include:
Rapid heartbeat
Muscle tension
Dizziness and lightheadedness
Stomach trouble and diarrhea
Inability to catch breath
“Out-of-body” sensation
According to WebMD, there are a number of things people with social anxiety may struggle with. They include:
Talking to strangers
Speaking in public
Dating
Making eye contact
Entering rooms
Using public restrooms
Going to parties
Eating in front of other people
Going to school or work
Starting conversations
So you may be wondering what exactly causes social anxiety. There are a number of reasons someone may experience it. According to WebMD, There is an overwhelming fear of:
Being judged by others in social situations
Being embarrassed or humiliated — and showing it by blushing, sweating, or shaking
Accidentally offending someone
Being the center of attention
Now that I’ve told you what social anxiety is and why is happens you probably want to know how to handle social anxiety when it smacks you in the face.
First of all, start small. Don’t overwhelm yourself and jump head first into the deep end! Secondly, when you start to feel your heart pounding and your palms getting sweaty take a step back and take some deep breaths. Close your eyes and find your center! Use your positive affirmations to remind yourself that you can do hard things, you are prepared and you have people who support you. It’s so important to learn how to manage your anxiety naturally before the stressor rears its ugly head! So when it shows up you are prepared.
A great way to learn how to manage anxiety of all kinds is by taking my “5 Steps to Taking Control of your anxiety in the moment” mini-course. It is coming soon and will give you the tools you need to combat social and performance anxiety in the moment.
This course will go through 5 different tools you can utilize as the anxiety begins to heighten in your life even in social situations.
More info to come in your inbox and my social media pages! Visit me on Instagram and Facebook!
Related links:
https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/mental-health-social-anxiety-disorder