How to Cure Social Anxiety - 7 steps to a Better Life

If you are unfortunate enough to suffer from some form of social anxiety, then even the most basic interactions with others can be an extremely painful experience. One major problem is that people tend to suffer alone due to the very nature of the problem, but there are a number of things that someone can do in order to try and even partly overcome the problem and what follows are seven steps that may indeed make a difference to a sufferer.

1. Practice thinking positively

By thinking positively even at home when alone it will eventually train the mind away from only ever considering the negative things that may happen as this tends to lead to the start of the anxiety. A problem is that people tend to over analyse things and will concentrate on the one negative thing out of 99 positives so over time there has to be a shift in the mindset and this can only be done through practice.

2. Stop comparing yourself to others

You are an individual and think differently and also act differently to everybody else out there. A problem with people who suffer from social anxiety is a belief that they are going to be talking to people who are better than them and they worry about situations that may arise from it. However, by trying to stop comparing yourself to them it will make the situation seem as if it is more in your control and you will be able to handle it so much better.

3. Try to like yourself and your own strengths

Sit down and make a list of your own strengths and weaknesses and compare them to see how they match up. You should then concentrate on your strengths and realise that you are capable of various wonderful things and that you will be better at it than people you will encounter on a day to day basis. Never stop praising yourself even for the smallest of achievements even if it is just going to the shop and saying good morning as this builds your confidence and the belief that you will then have in yourself.

4. Give yourself attainable goals to aim for and achieve them

By setting goals for yourself you can slowly build up your belief that you can indeed deal with various social situations, but do so in your own time. Make a note of situations that you do not like and grade them according to how uncomfortable you feel and then set yourself a target of beating one of the easier ones by a certain date. When you do so always congratulate yourself and reward yourself before moving on to the next one on your life and over time you will conquer your fears.

5. Never avoid those difficult situations

One of the things you should never do is avoid those situations that make you feel the most uncomfortable as this will only ever have a negative impact and will make it harder to overcome the condition. You will gain a lot more out of it if you stand there and tough it out, but when the situation is over do look at what your feelings were with it, how you reacted, and how you feel after it along with praising yourself for having survived.

6. Make sure you sleep well every night

A lack of sleep can lead to people feeling more anxious due to the brain and body being tired. You should, therefore, look at making sure you get more than enough sleep every single day as you will be less stressed as a result and more capable of handling various situations.

7. Practice relaxation methods that work for you

If you know you are going to have to face your fears at some point, then it is worth working out the relaxation method that works best for you and put it into practice before you know you will start to feel the anxiety build. This may involve you doing some yoga, meditation, or even just listening to certain songs, but the idea is to calm your mind and body so that adrenaline stops rushing through it and reducing the stress you feel. You will then be in a far better position to deal with whatever it is you need to face and will be able to overcome your social anxiety.

Those are, therefore, just seven steps that someone who suffers from social anxiety may want to try in order to potentially get a breakthrough in the condition and start to live something that resembles a normal life. It may indeed be a long and difficult road, but by taking things at a pace that is suitable for the sufferer there is no reason to believe that they will not be able to get back some of their life and enjoy what it can bring.