Last spring, I was sitting in my Intro to Screenwriting class and the professor asked the class a question. I liked this professor so I was eager to participate as much as I could. I raised my hand to answer and that’s when it hit me…
All of a sudden my palms started sweating, my heart began racing, and it felt like a giant lump in my throat preventing me from speaking. I managed to get the words out, but my voice sounded shaky and uncertain.
That was my first ever experience with social anxiety, and it took me completely by surprise. Ever since that moment in class last spring, I’ve continued to occasionally experience these strong physical reactions when speaking in large groups.
I was frustrated at first because I had no idea where these symptoms were coming from. It took some time, but I’ve now accepted that this is an obstacle I face and I have found ways to alleviate my anxiety whenever it occurs.
If you’ve ever felt symptoms such as the ones I’ve described, just know you’re not alone and that there are many ways to manage them.
DEEP BREATHS
I have begun to anticipate when a certain situation or encounter will stir up my anxiety. One of the tricks I use to calm myself down is taking deep breaths. Right before I have to speak to a large group, whether it’s for school, for my job, or something more casual, I try to take several deep breaths in and out until I feel my heart rate drop.
I recommend doing this before the anxiety-inducing action occurs; however, I’ve personally found that its effects do not last very long and more strategies are needed to maintain relaxedness during the action.
SHIFT FOCUS
Something that tends to make the symptoms of my anxiety worse is when I focus on the words coming out of my mouth, how they sound, how they’re being received, and so on. It can be difficult not to do this, especially when you’re worried about the people you’re talking to noticing that you are in crisis. That being said, one of the best ways I’ve been able to reduce my anxiety is by shifting all of my focus to the people I am talking to. Rather than paying so much attention to the words I am saying, I try to focus on the other people’s smiles, their eyes, and what they’re wearing. Even better, if we’re engaged in a conversation, I try to pay much more attention to the things they say than the ones I do. This helps to keep me grounded and converse more authentically.
POSITIVE SELF-TALK
When I first started experiencing social anxiety, I was very hard on myself and would continuously tell myself to just calm down and stop shaking, sweating, or freaking out. But, of course, those thoughts did not help. If anything, they made the symptoms worse which frustrated me even more.
Positive self-talk is something I’ve recently started doing and it has helped me way more than I ever could have thought. As I am talking to a large group of people, I try to tell myself positive things such as “You’re doing great” and “Everything is okay”. These thoughts motivate me to keep going and help keep my words flowing.
DON’T GIVE UP
When you experience social anxiety, you might be tempted to avoid social interaction. Do not let the anxiety win. Even though it may be hard, you are capable of sharing your voice with others. The more you put yourself out there, the easier it will become.
Since my first encounter with social anxiety, I have developed more confidence and have started to see an improvement. The change is small, but it is still there. It gives me hope that I will one day be able to overcome social anxiety entirely.