Here Is The Best Advice To Overcoming Social Anxiety

The best way to overcome any form of anxiety is to get help from a professional.

There are people out there who have solved anxiety for a lot of people, or at the very least helped them manage it in a very effective way; you do not have to go at this alone!

Everything you learn you learn from someone, so why not learn to deal with this from someone too?

In school, you learned something from your teachers, in college from your professors, at your job from your superior and as a child you learned from your parents.

You never truly did anything alone, so why do one of the scariest things, the things that bring you anxiety, all alone?

Now, for those reading this that are still unsure about seeking aid with their social anxiety, there are other things you can do.

None of these things will necessarily overcome social anxiety, as there is a lot that goes into it, but they can help.

It depends on a lot of factors, such as what the person is like, what causes their anxiety, where they feel comfortable, how strong the anxiety is and so on, which is why getting personal help is far more effective than any of the tips below.

Keep that in mind.

1. Face your Anxiety Head On — The ‘Cold Water’ approach is by far the most brutal approach but can be very effective. If you constantly throw yourself into social situations you will eventually grow more comfortable with them. Just remember not to go too far outside your comfort zone when doing this. Step out a tiny bit further than you feel ready for.
2. Step Into It — Learn the aspects of your anxiety and slowly step into more uncomfortable situations. Do so only when you know the limits, where you can regain your energy and what situations to avoid/how to get out of situations you do not yet feel ready to handle. Slowly but surely you will get better at it.
3. Be Upfront About It — Be honest with the people around you with your anxiety, fear and the limits that presents. It’s not unnatural and not a disease. You just find it more difficult to interact with people is all. Trust me: they will understand as long as you are honest with them! Get the help of your friends, let them know that they might need to save you if things get too dire and try to let everyone you meet know you might find it difficult. Most people are nice enough to work with you on it.
4. Build a Belief in Yourself — At the end of the day it’s all in your head. Really, your head signals the emotions and anxiety. That being said, if you build a belief that you will survive, that you are strong and that you can master these social situations it will help you in overcoming them. It may not be a strong belief yet, but anything counts!
5. Know Life will Go On — A lot of the times people with Anxiety make small things too big and big things too little. They overstate the effect of the negative things around them and understate their own abilities and actions. Even if the situation breaks you, if you fail miserably, it will not kill you! You will live, life will go on, and even though it is scary as hell it is not the end. Hopefully you can find some comfort in that thought.
6. Understand it’s Okay — You are you. Period. Anxiety there or not this is who you are and this is what you deal with. Judging you for that is like someone judging the ocean for being wet. Sure, they can do that, but it isn’t your fault that this is who you are! Accept it and know that it is okay.

Hopefully you can see that fighting your anxiety is not an easy task and not something a random person on the internet should help you with.

No one can truly understand the depth of what you are suffering with unless they truly know you.

This is something you want to talk to a professional about in person so they can give you the precise and exact tools you will need, coupled with an approach that works for you.

The tips above can help but they may not help you specifically.

They are generic tips to minimize the anxiety, nothing more.

If you truly want to overcome your anxiety: Get The Help You Need! The choice is yours!

The other option is to keep the anxiety for your entire life and live in constant worry.

Originally published at http://quora.com.