October 23, 2025

Manage Social Anxiety In 4 Easy Steps

Perhaps you wish you were friendlier, and more open and sociable, but the idea of interacting with other people fills you with fear and dread. If this is the case, you could be dealing with social anxiety. It’s More than Nerves Social anxiety is more than occasional nerves and self-consciousness. It’s a constant and intense fear of interacting with other people, and being judged negatively or being embarrassed in public. It’s often accompanied by physical symptoms such as excessive sweating, trembling, muscle twitching, and a racing heartbeat. People with social anxiety can agonize over upcoming social events for weeks or months. Sometimes, they will even go out of their way to avoid social situations to the point that it negatively impacts their everyday lives. Steps to Overcome Social Anxiety  Step 1: Identify Your Triggers People have different triggers; knowing what triggers your social anxiety helps you to react more favorably to these situations. Consider keeping a journal of situations that make you feel anxious so you can easily pinpoint common patterns. Take note of the people, places, and specific situations that you tend to avoid, such as get-togethers, parties, or phone calls. Give each situation a rating from 1 to 3, with 1 being scary and 3 being absolutely terrifying. Step 2: Face Your Fears Facing your fears is probably the last thing you want to hear, but science says it’s the best solution. Start with the least scary situations on your list, the ones with the lowest rating, and…