We all get anxious in certain situations in our lives. But if you have a social anxiety disorder or social phobia, going through it every day can be a mammoth challenge. You might find it hard to initiate social interactions, or even responding can seem like a task to you.
But the fortunate part is, that you don’t have to let the fear of social anxiety keep you away from living your life to the fullest. There are proven ways that can help people manage their anxiety symptoms. Longevity Live Paid Content.
Here, we discuss five tips that will help you get through the day without much of a hassle.
1. Face Your Anxiety; Do Not Hide From It
Photo by Joice Kelly on Unsplash
How long will you hide behind your smartphones to avoid social situations? Research has found significant positive correlations between smartphone addiction and the presence of social anxiety situations.
Gadgets nowadays provide immediate satisfaction, which can be quite triggering. Moreover, the use of phones just to avoid people will only avoid addressing the issue of social phobia.
Learn to face situations that make you feel conscious. You may feel awkward for a few days, but it will eventually get normal in your head.
2. Try Deep Breathing
Deep breathing has to be the most effective and natural way of dealing with anxiety symptoms in general. Anxiety can make you feel uncomfortable. For instance, your heart rate can go up, and breathing might get shallow.
Or, if your boss calls you in for a meeting, instead of imagining negative scenarios, shift your focus to your breathing.
In such situations, you should immediately resort to deep breathing exercises that will help you ease down.
3. Ease Physical Symptoms With Cannabis
Did you know cannabis strains can help control the symptoms of social anxiety?
A survey suggests that out of American people who consume cannabis, nearly 49% of them use CBD (a cannabis compound) to get stress and anxiety relief.
You can use cannabis in the form of oil and gummies, as preferred by most users. Since there are different cannabis strains to choose from. You can get kush which contains THC, and which is known to be a powerful relaxant.
Please consult a medical professional if you are on any other medication.
4. Prepare
Plan ahead for social interactions that make you feel anxious. Instead of changing your way just to avoid a person, find ways how you can calm yourself down and converse with confidence.
For instance, if you’re going on your first date and have no clue what to talk about, you can watch videos, read magazines, or just ask a friend to get an idea of how to make your date successful.
5. Reframe Your Thoughts
The most practical coping strategy for social anxiety is understanding and reframing your thoughts whenever anxiety slides in. Not all stress is bad.
Observe your body and see how it responds to certain stressors like public speaking.
This allows you to see the situation from a different perspective and feel less stressed.
Final Words
Living with social anxiety can be a struggle. Though most symptoms of anxiety are manageable, you should consult a psychiatrist if you aren’t able to handle yourself.
Important note
Your doctor might suggest a combination treatment of medication and therapy for effective results. This content is not intended as a replacement for medical advice.
