Most people feel anxious and socially awkward before a speech or argument. Probably, you may have also been reluctant to approach someone or scared to seek expert advice. Anxiety and timidity frequently cause this mood.
Misunderstood, many individuals suffer in silence from a social anxiety disorder. It’s more than being shy in large gatherings. It may also interfere with daily living.
This happens to extroverts and introverts alike. We’ve all been bashful or apprehensive. It’s natural, yet anxiety and shyness might lead to psychiatric illnesses. Therefore, it is important to overcome social phobia.
Related: How to Be Social Following This Introvert’s Guide
How to Stop Being Socially Awkward?
Social anxiety isn’t as easy as throwing oneself into a crowd, but it is manageable to feel more secure in social settings and engage with people. These eight tips may help to cure social anxiety.
1. Interacting with Other People
Get to know them by engaging in idle conversation with them first. It may be at a grocery store, on the metro, in restaurants, among neighbors, or anywhere else.
The more various people you interact with and the more you expose yourself to, the more comfortable you will get interacting with people from multiple backgrounds and overcoming social awkwardness.
Also Read: How to Stop Being So Hard on Yourself?
2. Challenge Negative, Worrying Ideas
Sometimes you may feel powerless over how you feel and think. Several things can assist, however. Challenging negative beliefs help minimize social anxiety symptoms.
Start by recognizing your worried thoughts about social settings. Then, question these ideas. Ask yourself why you think this way and whether your initial response is really how you feel.
Changing your thinking is a long road, not an instant remedy, yet the mind is strong.
3. Show Some Self-assurance
Confidence is something that can be learned, and it is something that develops with practice. You must have been terrified of many different things in your youth, but I do not doubt that you have moved beyond those phobias at this point in your life.
The issue is that you avoid social events and contact with other people, and the answer is to confront this circumstance with confidence and self-belief.
4. Create Body Language that Exudes Self-assurance
Use your body language to give others the impression that you are an upbeat and friendly person, and they will feel and think this about you.
Smiling, giving kind and loving handshakes, making eye contact, walking with your dignity intact, and speaking clearly and efficiently are all essential aspects of first impressions and are necessary for socially awkward people.
Must Read: Self-Acceptance: 8 Easy Ways to Accept Yourself
5. Construct a Hierarchy of Exposures
Make a list of the different social situations that make you uncomfortable and give each one a rating of 10. A score of 0 would indicate a complete absence of anxiety, whereas a score of 10 would indicate extreme terror.
Note all the possible scenarios and how you would feel about them. It’s the same as approaching a random person on the subway for the time or stepping into a room full of people at a party.
You should record your expectations on paper so that you may compare them to your actual feelings when the time arrives.
6. Do Not Dwell on Your Shortcomings
When faced with conditions that trigger extreme anxiety, it may be challenging to quiet the mind’s constant chatter. We assume the worst about how others will judge us, which leads us to retreat inward and concentrate on ourselves and the impressions we leave.
Put an end to worrying about your reputation and the opinions of others. Pay attention to others, be there for them, and build genuine relationships with them. Just remember that nobody’s perfect and give it your best to listen to what’s being said.
7. Always Be Open to New Experiences
You only have one life to live, yet there are an infinite amount of experiences to have and accomplishments to make. Do not give your socially awkward behavior the power to dictate how you live your life.
Even though it makes you uneasy, you should do new things like joining a club, going to a new area, trying out a new sport, and doing other things you’ve never done before.
You will get the most significant boost to your self-assurance if you do this.
8. Healthy Habits Lessen Anxiety
How you manage your body affects your whole life, especially your social anxiety levels. Minor lifestyle adjustments may boost self-confidence and reduce worry.
Never consume coffee or caffeinated beverages after a particular hour. Energy drinks stimulate and might raise anxiety. Always be active, even if it’s only a brief stroll during lunch.
Alcohol may settle your worries, but it may also cause anxiety attacks. Hydrate and obtain decent sleep. Sleep deprivation increases anxiety and mood swings. A new study reveals sleep deprivation causes anxiety. Read more about the psychological effects of sleep deprivation.
In Brief
New brain connections for social interactions need time to establish while overcoming social anxiety. Social anxiety or social awkwardness affecting your everyday life?
Then don’t hesitate to seek expert aid. This will assist you in overcoming social anxiety and shyness. It seems impossible, but it’s worth conquering so you can live fully.
