On occasions where you go through intense situations, it is normal for you to feel nervous or self-conscious. These feelings often arise when you’re giving a speech or participating in a job interview.

However, social anxiety evokes intense fear of certain social situations.

Social anxiety can strike out of nowhere, in moments when you find yourself under intense scrutiny or situations that feel foreign and unfamiliar.

It becomes tantamount to know how to manage social anxiety in such a situation. Today, we will learn about ways in which you can manage your social anxiety.

These tips and tricks should prove useful in those intense situations. With that said, let us look at these suggestions.

Control Your Breathing

One of the ways to manage social anxiety is to calm your senses. Anxiety can cause uncomfortable changes in your body.

These changes can cause your breathing to come in fast and shallow intervals. You might also feel tense and dizzy when this occurs.

One way to help you calm your senses is through slow breathing. Try sitting down in a comfortable position, and have your back straight while doing so. Relax your shoulders and position one of your hands on your belly and the other on your chest.

After which, take slow breaths through your nose for at least four seconds. At this point, you should feel your hand on your belly rise.

Make sure to hold your breath for two seconds after inhaling. Then, do a slow exhale through your mouth for six seconds.

This should help you relax your body. Repeat this step several times until you feel calm and relaxed.

Avoid Negative Coping Strategies and Mechanisms

Social anxiety pops up in intense moments. When it does, it manifests not only in symptoms akin to those of panic attacks, but it can also cause other symptoms such as loss of appetite, muscle stiffness, and so on.

The problem is that many people tend to blunt the symptoms of social anxiety through negative coping mechanisms.

Among those negative coping strategies is drinking alcohol. While this measure helps in the first two glasses, too much would only result in making anxiety worse than it was before. Heavy drinking leads to heightened anxiety, disrupted sleep patterns, and much more.

Instead, avoid drinking too much. One of the measures that you can take is through cognitive behavioral therapy, where you aim to change your thought patterns.

Another is through the use of alternative sources like kratom. You can check out this article for more information about this popular form of alternative medicine.

Make Some Preparations

Before going, make sure to plan ahead for social situations that would make you feel nervous. This can help you regain confidence and push forward. Prepare for what is about to come.

You might feel the urge to avoid such situations due to anxiety. To help you face it head-on, do some prep work such as reading or some breathing exercises. This helps you gear your mind and body to stay calm and not find yourself off-guard

For instance, going to a public speaking event may cause you to feel shaken by your social anxiety. To help you prepare, consider the thought of going through your material and familiarizing yourself with the details and topics that you will present to your audience.

Start Small

Take your time and go at your own pace in dealing with social anxiety. Instead of jumping into big social situations, start small. Tackling social anxiety will take a lot of work, so make sure to take it one step at a time.

A good starting point would be to make eye contact with people and greeting them. If someone ends up starting a conversation with you, you can go by asking them questions about their hobbies or their favorite things

Take your time and take it step-by-step. You can build up to bigger activities as your comfort level grows.

Face Fears Head-On

At some point in managing social anxiety, you will have to face your fears. While avoidance helps, it can only address the situation in the short term and would prevent you from adapting, preventing you from reaching certain goals.

For instance, the fear to speak up may prevent you from voicing out your thoughts and sharing ideas at work. This may also prevent you from making new friends.

The best way to do this is to take your time. We mentioned in an earlier step to start small. At a slow pace, make sure to face your fears and conquer them bit by bit.

Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness exercises can help you in gaining awareness of your thoughts and feelings outside a judgmental view, but rather in a more positive light. Meditation can help you clear out your doubts and find your center

Consider taking some time to conduct mindfulness training. Taking at least 20 minutes to meditate and clear your mind would help you manage your anxiety levels and put you into a more relaxed state.

Try Exercising

Exercises such as jogging can help lower your anxiety levels. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins. This reduces your perception of pain and lets you gain positive feelings.

Through this, you can ward off anxiety and reduce stress. Take the time to do such exercises, along with yoga and much more.

Learn How to Manage Social Anxiety Today

Once you know how to manage social anxiety, you can overcome the hurdles posed by it. This also lets you accomplish goals that seem impossible. Take note of these strategies and other ways that you can use to help you push through your everyday life.

Over time, you will overcome your anxieties. Take it one step at a time.

Did you find this helpful? We also have other articles that cover a variety of topics such as this one. Feel free to check them out and read them today.