You know the feeling well. You are at a social function, and suddenly all your fears come true. You had been dreading it for weeks unable to control your thoughts, feeling anxious and having panicky thoughts every day. Your life becomes a struggle with fighting social anxiety day by day.
Fighting Social Anxiety Daily
Now the day has arrived, and you have a full-blown anxiety attack. You imagine people are looking at you as you struggle with your breathing trying to find somewhere to hide. Your mind is jumping here and there, and you cannot concentrate at all. Your body is tense and slumped, and waves of panic wash over you.
You cannot make eye contact with anyone and worry that everyone can see the symptoms that anxiety is doing to your body. This behavior makes you more anxious, and you feel your stress levels rising even further.
Reduce Your Stress Levels
Remember that it is common for you to feel a little nervous in a social setting. Everyone wishes to make a good impression and without some anxiety, you would not rise to the challenge. Before you arrive, you could listen to some calming music. Music has a positive effect and can improve your mood giving you the ability to be more confident. Listening to music reduces your stress levels and is one of many techniques to make you feel less nervous. Diet is also critical to your overall well-being. You need to have a balanced diet getting as many nutrients as possible to increase your general health. While diet alone will not cure your anxiety supplements like magnesium, have been suggested to have a positive influence. At least make an effort to avoid sugarily and junk foods which can have a harmful effect on your mood.
Taking An Anxiety Test
If you wish to find out more about your anxiety problem then taking an online stress test is a good idea. Remember that everyone suffers from nervousness at one time or another. Taking a test will help you find out if you are suffering abnormally and missing out on life experiences because of the anxiety problem. The tests are free to take and will only take a minute or two to complete. They are effective in showing you where on an anxiety scale you are and let you know whether you need professional help. So spend a minute and complete an online test. Your stress levels may reduce if you find that you are not as bad as you thought. This realization can be useful to know if otherwise, you can get prepared to seek professional help for your problem. Fighting social anxiety alone is very difficult.
Social Anxiety And Your Work
If you are lucky enough to have a job, social anxiety can make your life very stressful. Your anxiety will be persistent because you are being surrounded by people for hours each day. You may find it difficult to reduce your stress levels to a more normal setting. If you do not have a job, then you face the problem of getting one. Thinking of an interview raises your fear level, and you live in a constant state of anxiety. You wonder if you will ever be healthy and life seems difficult. This is why it is crucial to seek help and get your thinking processes back on track. Social anxiety is hard to conquer on your own yet so very difficult to ask for help. It is a catch 22 situation, but the sooner you face up to it the quicker you will begin to feel better.
Eventually, with help and assistance, you will start to worry less. Make a plan to start a program to help you in controlling your mind. Act more confident even if you do not feel it. You can overcome any problem, and you do so daily, wouldn’t it be more enjoyable if you were able to shed even a little anxiety? So set a plan in action and keep moving forward. Compliment yourself for doing so and be conscious of your thought processes.
How To Lessen Anxiety Levels
Exercise is a great way to help you feel better. Doing some form of physical activity will make sure that you sleep better. Exercising also helps your mental state, and you will feel calmer as a result. Mental exercises are also great for reducing your stress levels and giving you the feeling of being in control. Your negative thinking will not dominate your mind, and you will experience a positive response to your actions. Another good technique is to talk with someone even if it is on the phone. By talking to someone you are comfortable with you will lessen the continual cycle of negative thinking.
If you find that your panic symptoms are rising, try calm breathing and remain focused on your activity. Do not be afraid to admit to a trusted friend that you are under attack from panic symptoms and try explaining what the physical effects are doing to you. In a situation like that start trusting your close friend and take control of your panic attack symptoms remaining as calm as you can be. Sure it will be difficult but a problem shared is a problem halved.
Sometimes panic attacks seem to occur suddenly for no reason. When this happens, it is very distressing especially if you have been progressing well in dealing with it. Start keeping a journal to see if certain triggers set you off. Maintaining a record helps you see the overall picture. Record the physical symptoms of your body and try to relax the muscles that are most affected. Noting what is happening in your mind and owning it will enable you to feel less worried too, and you will see what was going on in your life when the attacks occurred. It will be hard to do initially, but you will have great feedback over time.
Every day take a couple of minutes to observe your physical and mental condition. Start to make time for yourself. If you start worrying as soon as you awake then drink a glass of water slowly to get in touch with your physical senses. Try connecting with your physical and mental state. Get up and go for a walk and pay extra attention to any worrying that is going on. Try to relax and acknowledge your thinking and things will get better soon. At least your thoughts will not get out of control and keep going around in circles.
If you have trouble getting to sleep or getting good quality sleep read this article here: In-depth guide to anxiety and sleep problems
So watch those thoughts. If you are anxious, try to discover why. Is it one thought in particular that snuck up on you? The brain is a powerful organ, and your thoughts can control your feelings so try to find a way to stop those thoughts by calm breathing for example or a favorite comforting place, and you will be feeling less anxious over time. Never give up on yourself and keep fighting social anxiety one day at a time.
