Are you experiencing Social Anxiety?

- Have you experienced heaviness in your chest at the thought of reaching out to people?

- Has it been a while since you have felt comfortable socialising?

- Have you felt that Covid-19 made things worse?

If you have had these thoughts, good news, you are not alone!

Social anxiety is a fast-growing phenomenon which is thought to disproportionately affect young people.

Jeffries & Ungar (2020) came to this conclusion when carrying out a research where young people (16 - 29 years) from 7 different countries self-reported on the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS). A positive element in this study is the fact it did not look only to the West as a reference, but to these economically diverse countries: Brazil, China, USA, Vietnam, Russia, Thailand, and Indonesia. With the necessity for young adults to carry out their studies from home, to isolate themselves at a point when they are usually the most social, and rely solely on screen as a way to communicate, has magnified feelings of social anxiety.

This could be because of increased fear of negative opinions by others, or fear of being in social situations where we are unable to relax or experience enjoyment. With access of the internet at the tip of our fingers, this can become a maladaptive safety-seeking behaviour to disguise any insecurity one may be feeling. Since, the internet has become an accepted form of communication, especially during the pandemic, this maladaptive behaviour may continue.

What to do then?

Recognise your patterns of social anxiety- Is it towards particular individuals/setting/situation?

Aim for a step-by-step approach and not perfection- for example; go out to a park and surround yourself with strangers, then meet a person you feel comfortable with one-on-one and face-to-face, then ease your way until you feel more comfortable with a few more people around you, all the while you check yourself to see how you feel.

Know when to seek professional support for social anxiety - Recognise that it is okay to feel uncomfortable, self-conscious, or concerned of embarrassing yourself after a while of limited contact with others. If you try to surround yourself with a network of supportive people, and also remind yourself that what we fear most rarely occurs, you will feel more confident in yourself and your social skills. If you are still experiencing a lot anxiety in social situations, perhaps it could be time to seek the support of a psychologist, therapist, or counsellor.

Contact me for a free 30-minute session. For more information look at the Services page on tabsafespace.com