10 Powerful Tips in Overcoming Social Anxiety Attacks

Overcoming Anxiety Attacks, Made You Smile Back, Made Ya Smile, Make You Smile Back, Smile Back, Smile
10 Powerful Tips in Overcoming Social Anxiety Attacks

Is It Just Nerves or is it Anxiety?

Made You Smile Back is pleased to present this enlightening blog on โ€™10 powerful tips in overcoming anxiety attacks, or more specifically, social anxiety.โ€™ All of us from time to time have experienced anxiety with our nerves acting up when confronted with social situations. Who hasnโ€™t felt this way when preparing for a big speech or a job interview or even going out on a date?

We shall explore what exactly social anxiety is and the myths and misconceptions associated with it. We will also look at the symptoms and what situations usually trigger an anxiety or panic attack.

Then, 10 powerful tips on overcoming social anxiety using cognitive behavior strategies will be conveyed so that the next time you find yourself with โ€˜sweaty palms, increased breathing, and โ€˜butterfliesโ€™, you will be well prepared on knowing what to do.

10 Powerful Tips to Overcome Anxiety Attacks, Made You Smile Back, Made Ya Smile Back, Make You Smile Back, Smile Back, Smile
Canva Design by Beth Elkassih
FREE 5-DAY MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGE - 'NAVIGATING THRU EVERYDAY ANXIETY' MAY 4, 2020 BY MADE YOU SMILE BACK
MORE INFO โ€“ FREE 5DAY MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGE

What is Social Anxiety Exactly?

According to Mental Health of America, social anxiety, also known as SAD (Social Anxiety Disorder) is an anxiety disorder characterized by extreme fear or anxiety in one or more social settings. Going to a party or even having a one-on-one conversation with a new person can result in increased heart rate, sweating, and racing thoughts for someone with social anxiety.

When social anxiety gets significant, itโ€™s common for individuals to isolate themselves and feel very alone. Often times, the overwhelming feeling of โ€˜dreadโ€™, makes one who is suffering hard to function in daily life. And taken to extremes, they may regularly avoid the โ€˜anxiety-inducingโ€™ situations altogether leading to further isolation from family and friends.

Image by childrenshospital.org/global-mental-healthยฉย 

How Common is Social Anxiety Worldwide?

It is estimated that a staggering 264 million people worldwide suffer from this condition as of 2017. The prevalence of anxiety disorders across the world varies from 2.5 to 7 percent by country. Is it any surprise that anxiety is considered to be the most prevalent mental health condition in our society today?

In fact, in the United States alone, 40 million people suffer from social anxiety. Social anxiety can affect both men and women, with women slightly leading in the statistical data of 60%. It does not discriminate. Several well-known world leaders, celebrities and entertainers struggle with this disorder as well.

10 Powerful Tips in Overcoming Anxiety Attacks, Famous Personalities Who Suffer from Social Anxiety, Made You Smile Back
Photo by Canva ยฉ ย 

Learn from the past, set vivid, detailed goals for the future, and live in the only moment of time over which you have any control: now.ย 

โ€” Dennis Waitley

Symptoms of Social Anxiety โ€” What Does it Feel Like

10 Powerful Tips in Overcoming Anxiety Attacks, Made You Smile Back
Image by Digital Artistยฉ on Pixabay

There are many symptoms associated with social anxiety. In fact, it affects each person differently depending upon the severity and of course, the situation at hand. Iโ€™m sure we can all relate to one or more in the following list:

  • Rapid Heart Rate
  • Blushing
  • Sweating, especially the Palms
  • Trembling
  • Feeling Nauseated
  • Having Butterflies in Your Stomach
  • Dizziness and Lightheadedness
  • Diarrhea
  • Trouble Catching Your Breath
  • Muscle Tension
  • The Feeling Your Mind Going Blank
  • The Feeling of your Stomach Tied Up in Knots
10 Powerful Tips in Overcoming Anxiety Attacks, Made You Smile Back
Photo by Engin_Akyurt ยฉ on Pixabay

The Struggle is Real

There are several misconceptions concerning social anxiety. Those of us who suffer are so misunderstood and oftentimes, people are quick to judge and say โ€˜weโ€™re just a basket case of dramaโ€™โ€ฆ

Get your Freebie


Find yourself again

It manifests differently in each person. Try to put yourself in their shoes. They suffer from โ€˜overthinkingโ€™ or ruminating over worst-case scenarios.

Itโ€™s not just about being stressed โ€” itโ€™s the unknown factor. Itโ€™s about being overwhelmed with a new situation never experienced before. The struggle is real and is magnified when we find ourselves spending too much time alone.

10 Powerful Tips in Overcoming Anxiety Attacks, Made You Smile Back
Photos โ€“ Wikipediaยฉ

Stage Fright โ€“ Performance Anxiety

Letโ€™s take a moment and discuss another type of social anxiety, known as performance anxiety. Or should I say, โ€˜stage frightโ€™?

Many times when we feel anxiety, it can be in a situation experiencing heightened emotions or excitement. Especially when we personally experience something new. So social anxiety isnโ€™t necessarily triggered by a phobia of fear. It can easily be that we havenโ€™t had that particular experience in our life yet.

One of the most well-known entertainers, Barbra Steisand developed overwhelming performance anxiety at the height of her career; for 27 years she refused to perform for the general public.

And yes, the iconic Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook openly admits that he suffers from social anxiety. In fact, on his first real job interview, he found himself stuttering and sweating โ€˜bulletsโ€™. Since then he has transformed from being socially awkward to a polished public figure. But even at the Senate Hearings in 2018, dealing with Facebook issues, he was under tremendous stress and experienced โ€˜performance anxietyโ€™.

10 Powerful Tips in Overcoming Anxiety Attacks, Made You Smile Back
Image by the Digital Artist ยฉ in Pixabay

My Own Personal Anxiety Attack!

When I made the decision to write about this topic, it was partly because I, myself, experienced this phenomenon while preparing for a new situation I had never faced before.

I just recently became a published author (โ€˜The Power of Unexpected Miraclesโ€™) and a โ€˜book-signing eventโ€™ was set up. As the event approached, I noticed my anxiety levels were creeping up on me. I donโ€™t know why I started feeling the way I did. Public speaking was something I was already doing.

However, upon reflection, this was indeed a NEW situation. I never was an author beforeโ€ฆ I didnโ€™t know what to expect with this event! I allowed the โ€˜fear of the unknownโ€™ get to me. And yes, my friends, I almost was very ill and the โ€˜butterfliesโ€™ just wouldnโ€™t go away! I was in fact, experiencing โ€˜stage frightโ€™ or performance anxiety!

10 Powereful Tips in Overcoming Anxiety Attacks, Made You Smile Back
Image by Canvaยฉ & The Digital Artist ยฉ in Pixabay

10 Powerful Tips in Overcoming Anxiety Attacks!

  1. KNOW that you CAN overcome this.
  2. STOP overthinking it!
  3. REALIZE people are too busy with their own issues. They really donโ€™t care as much as you think they do!
  4. STOP feeling embarrassed โ€“ youโ€™re only human!
  5. LOOK for the good in people โ€“ and remember this โ€“ youโ€™ll probably will be among empathic people who have stood in your shoes!
  6. LEARN to BELIEVE in yourself again. This is a confidence issue. You got this!
  7. DETERMINE your triggers. What situations cause you the most stress? LEARN to quiet these thoughts and feelings.
  8. RESPONDโ€ฆ donโ€™t react or give in to your anxiety.
  9. REACH OUT to a trusted friend who allows you to vent and who can gently but firmly REMIND you to put everything in perspective and to breathe, reflect and reassure you things will be all right.
  10. Pray and pray and pray some more. Let God/Allah help you through this!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. What causes social anxiety?

Research so far has not nailed down a single factor that causes social anxiety. It is most likely the result of a combination of genetics, the environmentย  (home, school, work) and brain structure (overactive amygdala leading to fear of social situations). For more inspiration, please read โ€˜I Just Want To Be Happy Againโ€™.

2. Who is at risk of developing social anxiety disorder?

Youโ€™re likely to develop social anxiety disorder if :
ย ย ย ย ย *ย ย A family member (parent or sibling) have it
ย ย ย ย ย * There is childhood trauma of physical, sexual abuse, or bullyingย 
ย ย ย ย ย * You are shy and timid in character and fear being judged by others
ย ย ย ย ย * You have noticeable facial blemishes or you stutter which make you fear rejection
Get more self-confident and read this.

3.ย  What is a skill that will help you overcome social anxiety ?

Doing random acts of kindness for the needy shifts the focus from yourself and your fear of what others think of you. It forces you to challenge yourself by engaging with others. Repetition of this
will build confidence that you can easily transfer to otherย โ€˜daunting โ€˜ situations. Learn more about random acts of kindness by reading these 2 blogs, โ€œThe Magical Touch of Kindnessโ€. and โ€œ10 Random Acts of Kindnessโ€ฆโ€

5.ย  Are there any natural ways to deal with social anxiety?

Yes, There are essential oils that calm the mind. Bergamo, Cedarwood, and Geranium are just 3 such oils. This post hasย a great list of the essential oils that help with stress and panic attacks. Use the oils in a diffuser, inhale or apply to the skin to feel almost immediate relief. For more information, please check out this article on essential oils, VeryWellMind.Com

4.ย  What daily tool will help the most to cope with social anxiety?

Keep a journal to track your instances of social anxiety. Record when they occur. what causes them, the duration and what you did to get through them. All this serves as data to develop a plan to cope with other such panic attacks. To learn more about the therapeutic power of journaling, please read this blog, โ€œThe Awesome Therapeutic Power of Journalingโ€.

Special Acknowledgment to Poovanesh Pather, Contributing Writer for FAQ.

10 Powerful Tips in Overcoming Anxiety Attacks, Made You Smile Back
Image by Canvaยฉ

In conclusion, social anxiety is a real mental health condition and should be treated as such. Made You Smile Back presented 10 strategically powerful tips on how to overcome everyday anxiety attacks. More specifically, these tips are behavior modification techniques. These are great when getting over a singular โ€˜anxiety attackโ€™ or if one just has a โ€˜mild caseโ€™ of anxiety.

That said, do KNOW that if YOU experience anxiety more severely or find that it persistently lasts for months or you find yourself becoming depressed as well, you need to seek professional medical treatment. In addition to behavior modification, you may need โ€˜medsโ€™ as well.

Waitโ€ฆ Thereโ€™s More

Watch this YouTube Video from Dr. Alan Mandell in โ€˜How to Get Rid of Anxiety Without Doctors or Medicationโ€™

Join the Conversation โ€“ Comment Below!

About the author

beth elkassih

โ€œHi! Welcome to the launching and introduction to โ€˜Made You Smile Backโ€™! Iโ€™m so pleased youโ€™re here. Let me share with you a little bit about myself and why I created this platform.โ€

Read More
Madeyousmileback is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com

Related Post

Comments

53 comments on โ€œ10 Powerful Tips in Overcoming Social Anxiety Attacksโ€

  1. I am delighted to read about your article. Social anxiety can be a significant hurdle for many people, and itโ€™s inspiring to see that there are practical and effective ways to manage it. By implementing these tips, individuals struggling with social anxiety can regain a sense of control over their lives and feel more confident in social situations. Thanks for sharing; this post is really helpful.

  2. Such important information you shared! I appreciate you bringing mental health awareness! I wish more people would be open to discussing it. Keep it up!

  3. Anxiety can be such a debilitating emotion. Itโ€™s really great that youโ€™ve given some ideas of different anxieties and how to cope with them. I really like the concept of figuring out your triggers and trying to calm them before they start. Thank you for this.

    1. Sasha,
      Thanks for the positive comments you always leave! I definitely know one trigger of mineโ€ฆ and thatโ€™s simply 24 hours before doing a speaking engagement! But whatโ€™s funny, is that once I begin, it immediately goes away and Iโ€™m ok.

  4. Thanks for the tips! I donโ€™t suffer from social anxiety per se but I have had panic attacks when stuck in traffic or on bridges, so I know they can be terrifying! I have a tattoo on my wrist that says โ€œInhale Courage Exhale Fearโ€ which helps me to remember to just BREATHE!

  5. Well developed and thought out post.
    I know so many people who battled this. And commonly social anxiety. I remember a holistic doctor sharing her need to take zinc and vitamin b6 in order to overcome her social anxiety. It is a disease called Piruloria. It can be diagnosed with a blood test. Of course it is not good to take these supplements if youโ€™re not deficient in them because they can actually cause some serious side effects.

    Here is a very insightful article on that:
    https://www.integrativepsychiatry.net/blog/pyroluria-a-hidden-cause-of-addictions-adhd-anxiety-and-other-afflictions/

    Thank you for all your hard work and sharing such important information.

  6. I dont suffer from this type of anxiety, but I know some who do and the root cause, as you mention, is thinking everyone is talking about you, judging you, etc. Once the anxiety sufferer realizes this is not the case, they are well on their way to recovery. Some can achieve this on their own, for others a good counselor is needed.

  7. People need to be educated about mental health and itโ€™s cool youโ€™re taking part in educating the people.

    1. Jojo, thanks for your special comment. It means alot to me. I really want to get the word out about mental health awareness and we all go through mental health crisis at some point in our life. People need to know they can talk about it openly. Many blessings to you.

  8. It is a great post with a lot of helpful info. I think everybody experiences an anxiety attack at least once in their lifetime. I have already gone through it once for sure. Since my mom has always suffered from these anxiety attacks I was able to recognize the symptoms when I had it. It was really hard to remind myself that I will not die in a heart attack. I hope that I will not experience it again, but if I do, I will get back to this post, I pin it to Pinterest.

  9. This post provides a great service. When we bring light to the fact that anxiety is not abnormal or something to be ashamed of we can then help ourselves and others to heal from what can be very debilitating.

  10. Hi,
    You are right, we all experience anxiety or nervousness in certain situations. I do notice many of those feelings when doing things outside of my comfort zone. It occurs most often when I am speaking to or in front of other people. All these tips you provided are good but I especially love 9 and 10. Having someone to vent to helps calm my nerves. And you can certainly never go wrong with prayer.

  11. Youโ€™ve got some great suggestions here. I think the idea of accepting that itโ€™s human and itโ€™s okay, so people have no need to be embarrassed, is SO important. Anxiety is far more common then a lot of people believe.

  12. Anxiety is sort of like the Boogey Man. Face it and trust God. Courage is Fear but going through it. What an accomplishment when you do.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Copyright ยฉ 2023 Madeyousmilebackย | All rights reserved | Powered by

Grab Your Free E-Book

"Rediscover Your Happiness Workbook" Today!

Get Back to Your 'Happy' Self!

HappinessBlog

Yes, I would love to get a glimpse of

"The Power Of Unexpected Miracles"

NOTE: After successfully entering your information, you shall receive an email with your own personal link.

linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram
275 Shares
Share21
Tweet
Pin254
WhatsApp