How I Overcame Social Anxiety

Let me start by saying that social anxiety is not something that can be cured. But with some hard work it can absolutely be managed and overcome.

Through my teens and 20’s I suffered severe social anxiety. To the point where I would get physically ill when I had to leave the house.

I felt hopeless.

But I didn’t give up. And over the years, through hard work, I have almost completely overcome it.

I want to highlight a few aspects of my social anxiety and how I worked to improve them:

1.?????Low self confidence

A lot of my anxiety stemmed from my lack of confidence, this was a root problem that took a lot of self-reflection and time to build up.

How I improved:

Combination of therapy, CBT (to reframe negative thoughts), and proving my value to myself through consistent habits.

2. Fear of being boring

I used to think I wasn’t interesting. This thought paralyzed me, and kept me from engaging socially.?

How I improved:

A huge help here was when I read “How to Win Friends…” by Dale Carnegie which completely changed my perspective on this issue.?

3. Difficulty making eye contact

Making eye contact was something I struggled with for years. Avoiding it compounded my problems however as it only seemed to raise my anxiety.?

How I improved:

This one really came down to gradually introducing it. I used this strategy: Start small, go to a public place, try to make eye contact with each person you walk by, working to get better each time you do it.

4. Being trapped in my own head

One of my biggest issues was constantly being in my own head. This made being present in a conversation nearly impossible.?

How I improved:

Mindfulness. I read "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle, and it was such an awakening for me. I hadn't even realized how deep inside my own head I had been trapped.