Published by Programme B
Shyness is a fear that people feel when around strangers, or when faced with new, uncomfortable situations. It affects between 40 and 60 percent of American adults, and makes a person feel they are unable to partake in social situations. Shyness can be a threat to your social life, placing strains on your relationships with family, friends, and romantic partners.
However, your shyness doesn’t have to control you. Below are several friendly suggestions to help you manage this troublesome phobia.
Take Baby Steps
Shyness can be so overbearing that it often makes “normal” activities seem impossible.
Most people would find walking down the street or going shopping two easy tasks to accomplish, but for some people, these things can be a really big deal. The feeling of being exposed in public where people can see you may seem like a nightmare for some, and because of this, people who do experience this discomforting feeling may demean themselves for not being able to do simple activities without panicking.
The best way to help conquer these feelings is to take small steps into social situations. Instead of forcing yourself to do big things as a way of gaining confidence, try to accomplish little social activities, such as making eye contact and politely greeting strangers on the street, ordering for yourself in a restaurant, or scheduling activities with friends and family. Once you feel more comfortable about handling minor social activities, you can then move on to tackle the bigger ones.
Control Your Breathing
A great way to help regulate your ability to thrive in social situations is to utilize breathing techniques. These are recommended to help manage your apprehensions, such as diaphragmatic and autogenic breathing, which are forms of slowing the breath to enhance relaxation. Practicing yoga is another form of breathing control and is also a way of lessening the tension throughout your body, especially in your muscles, which can help to calm you down.
Find Time To Relax
Try and find some time for yourself to relax.
A lot of people find that doing yoga and exercise is a good way of combating shyness, but others feel that partaking in their favorite hobbies is the best way to relax after a difficult day.
When people feel relaxed, their confidence often grows to a point where they feel more in control of a social situation. This not only helps regulate their negative feelings, but it also makes them feel ready and able to tackle the next social situation they find themselves in.
Think Positive
It can be challenging to remain optimistic when you’re in a social situation and feeling uncomfortable. Instead of overthinking everything that could go wrong in a conversation, try to think positively about the situation. Be proud of yourself for tackling it head-on, and for making the effort to socialize with other people despite your shyness.
Always remember that self-care is extremely important. Your mind is as important as your body and it’s wise to take care of both.
Image by Jupi Lu from Pixabay