If learning to manage my social anxiety has taught me anything, is that you constantly need to keep challenging yourself to get better.
I’ve often thought “hey, I’m cured” because I’ve been able to do enough things to live a comfortable life, only to crumble at a social situation that I’m totally not used to.
I know that if I spend a few weeks stuck indoors due to an illness, that leaving the house again becomes really bloody difficult and I also know that there are things I still want to do but haven’t done yet because of my social anxiety.
So I keep on challenging myself, as there is always room for self improvement.
If you’d like to join me and challenge yourself a little more this year, I’ve jotted down some ideas that you can steal!
If these are a too hard for you right now, then check out my Social Anxiety List Of Exposure Challenges and start there first.
- Go for a walk alone
- Make a new friend
- Wear something you wouldn’t normally wear
- Ask more open ended questions to keep conversations going
- Reach out to an old friend
- Maintain eye contact during a conversation
- Go somewhere you’ve never been before, even if it’s in your hometown
- Order something in a Cafe without practising it in your head first
- Sit somewhere in a restaurant or pub that you normally wouldn’t sit
- Eat in instead of taking out
- Speak to a stranger about the weather
- Call somebody on the phone
- Go to a shop alone and do a ‘big shop’
- Enter a building first, instead of getting your friend or partner to go in first
- Arrive somewhere a few minutes late instead of super early
- Host a get together
- Spend the day practising speaking more confidently and clearly
- Go a whole day out of the house without looking on your phone to pretend your busy
- Try a MeetUp group
- Exercise in public – a run in the park or at the gym
- Go to a coffee shop alone
- Purposefully sit or stand somewhere more crowded
The idea is to keep doing things that are just a little scarier than what you’re used to. Don’t jump in the deep end and set yourself back a pace, just take it slow and steady.
If you’d like to go into more depth and see more improvements this year, then check out Social Anxiety To Social Success – a step by step eBook that guides you through conquering your fears.
I feel Motivated.
I really liked the list of social anxiety challenges and these are common issues with people like me who keep getting anxious. I feel it is easier said than done but then one needs to keep trying to get rid of anxiety and I will do it. I was not able to sleep also because of severe anxiety but thanks to the broad-spectrum hemp oil that helped me sleep well and I could manage my anxiety to a certain level. I still have challenges and need to do a little more to get rid of anxiety. Good I found this post and I am ready for the challenge. It is very encouraging.