3 Ways to Cope With Social Anxiety

Social anxiety is the fear of social situations and the interaction with other people that can automatically bring on feelings of self-consciousness, judgment, and inferiority. Social anxiety is more than just being shy or having occasional nervousness. It involves intense fear of social situations. It is more common among introverts, and because each person has a unique chemical make-up, the intensity and frequency of the symptoms vary greatly from person to person. However, you don’t have to live a life of fear that ultimately neglects you of daily activities and your ability to grow your relationships. Here are some tips for overcoming the social anxiety hurdle:

Challenge Your Negative Thoughts

Social anxiety sufferers have negative thoughts and beliefs that contribute to their anxiety. Dr. Daniel Amen has created a powerful and effective exercise, “Kill the ANTs.” Killing your automatic negative thoughts (ANTs) will help reverse your negative thought process.

1. Write it down. When those automatic negative thoughts start tumbling around in your mind, write them down to clearly identify them.

2. Ask yourself, are these thoughts even true? Uninvestigated thoughts can lead us to act in harmful ways.

3. Talkback. If you discover that these negative thoughts are false, talk back to them! Tell these thoughts you know they aren’t true!

What Are You Grateful For?

Another way to boost your mood and reduce anxiety is to write down five things you are grateful for every day. Research suggests that focusing on gratitude helps to calm the deep limbic or emotional areas of the brain and enhances the judgment centers of the brain. When you focus on what you love, your brain works better, and you’ll feel better. You will notice a significant positive difference in your level of happiness.

Take Supplements Daily

Taking supplements every day can help support your mood and increase positivity.

• Omega-3 fatty acids promote healthy mood and emotional balance, and supports heart health.

• GABA has shown to promote relaxation by increasing calming, focused brain waves, while also reducing other brain waves associated with worry.

• Magnesium is also a helpful, natural supplement that promotes calm, balanced and mentally focused demeanor.

Furthermore, a few other suggestions for reducing social anxiety would be a balanced diet, meditation, diaphragmatic breathing, listening to relaxing music, daily exercise, and hypnosis. Anxiety and depression are not the results of character flaws or personal weakness; they are the result of biological problems in the brain that can be balanced. If you or a loved one is struggling, contact Amen Clinics today or call (888) 288-9834.