Living With Social Anxiety

[David Baxter PhD]

Living With Social Anxiety
by Robert T. Muller, York University Trauma Blog
April 10, 2019

In Living with Social Anxiety, filmmaker Kat Napiorkowska shows what it is like to have social anxiety.

She describes social anxiety as "self-consciousness on steroids" and illustrates the everyday challenges that social anxiety poses, the ways her relationships are affected by it, and the specific thought processes she experiences when having to encounter these situations. Kat offers a solution to these problems and says, "even though I'm not there yet I know there will be a day when I'm the one in charge [of my life]."

Living with Society Anxiety is a highly relatable and creative piece that reveals a window of understanding for those unaffected by social anxiety, and provides practical help and encouragement for people who need it.

 

[Daniel E.]

Don’t Be Lonely: How to Make Friends if You’re Moving House

Yes, the pandemic has made it harder to connect with strangers. But, from fitness classes to social media, there are plenty of ways to meet people in a new area— especially if you assume you’re naturally likable

getpocket.com

Franco reminds people of the “liking gap”. “Researchers found that people have a bias to underestimate how much other people like them. I like to tell people to assume other people like you. That also is supported by the ‘acceptance prophecy’ – when people are told to assume that others are going to accept them, they end up being more accepted, because it makes them more confident, outgoing, present.”

 

[Daniel E.]

How to come out of your shell | Psyche Guides

You don’t have to be outgoing. But if being introverted is holding you back from the life you want, dive in for a way out

psyche.co

You could consider making a commitment to build your strength and physical fitness, to further increase your confidence and comfort with adventure. There are many associations between physiology and personality, but perhaps most relevant in this context is that taking up more physical exercise has been shown to lower people’s levels of social anxiety; people (especially men) who are stronger tend to be more extraverted; and moreover, people who are physically more active earlier in life tend to retain their extraversion over the ensuing decades, compared with others who are more sedentary.

Various mechanisms are thought to underlie these associations but suffice to say that taking up regular physical exercise (choosing an activity that you particularly enjoy and is convenient) is likely to make you feel more confident in yourself and lower your anxiety levels, thus making it more appealing to venture out of your shell.