Are you reluctant and uncomfortable with breaking the ice when you meet people? Do you feel awkward about reacting in certain social situations? Social anxiety is more common than you think, and you are certainly not the only one. Here is how you can deal with the issue.
Embrace Who You Are
One of the many reasons why people struggling with social anxiety find it very difficult to initiate a conversation or break the ice is that they do not trust themselves. They believe people around them will judge them. Some have a fear of not being reciprocated, which often triggers their self-esteem issues. This is something very common, especially today when trends and Instagram culture has forced people to redefine who they are, and they feel inferior about themselves if they are not in line with the trends.
The only way to deal with this is to introspect and embrace and define yourself as who you actually are. There is nothing wrong with evolving your personality but always stay true to your roots. You cannot act to be someone you are not, and people can see when you are not acting like yourself. However, when you take pride in who you are and asset your personality and opinions, people eventually accept you and respect you for that.
It’s also very easy with anxiety conditions like this to feel like ‘it’s all in your head’ or that you’re over-exaggerating how your symptoms are making you feel, forcing you to over-exert yourself and become overloaded, possibly sending you into a panic or anxiety attack. In these times, it may help to do an anxiety test; you may be more subconsciously anxious than you realize, and it’s important to acknowledge that.
Self-Love Versus Social Validation
As stated earlier, one of the biggest menaces of the digital era is the consistent fear of being judged and rejected. This fear amplifies if you are already a socially anxious person. You need to understand that, as human beings, even the best of us can’t please everyone. Some people will agree with you while some will not. Some people will like you, and some will not. You need to learn to be okay with who you are.
Do not try too hard to please everyone around you, and learn to love and respect yourself for who you are. Once you start loving, owning, and respecting yourself, everything will automatically fall into place.
Harness Positivity
Did you know how you feel, and what goes in your head ultimately becomes a part of your aura, and you end up emoting it to those around you? Notice how even with all your social anxiety, you will feel naturally comfortable around some people more than you do with others. This is because their aura emotes positivity. You can embrace positivity and cut out negative energy around you to create a comfortable and welcoming aura too.
Self-help literature such as the energy bus energy bus summary is a great read to learn about how you can train your mind to see the positivity and the bright side of people and harness it to your benefit.
Face Your Fears
A major chunk of our personality and our insecurities are triggered by our past traumas and baggage. A lot of us have hidden fears such as being judged, unwanted, or bullied, and many of them are meaningless but imminent to our personality because we carry them over the years as we grow. The gift of fear talks about our inner fears and healing them in a great way. It is important that you seek help and acknowledge and heal from your inner fears to live your present with a free mind.
