Social Anxiety is difficult enough to cope with in normal situations.
But factor in a year long shutdown of our communities and amenities.
And that social anxiety becomes something much more serious.
You may be worried night right now about the imminent return to normal life.
And maybe you are struggling with anxious thoughts about social interactions in the future.
Will my friends want to see me again?
Have I achieved enough during lockdown?
What if I say something stupid or boring?
Humans are biologically wired to try and predict the future.
So if you're feeling uncertain about what lies ahead.
That is perfectly okay because the worries, you are having are not actually real your anxiety makes them real and serves to trap you in a cycle.
How can we move away from the uncertainty and towards a life of calm within the world.
Awareness is key.
Awareness is your superpower.
These five strategies will help practice them daily.
1. Take note of your personal worry story recognise how the narrative affects you and try to distance yourself from it. Maybe take time out every day to write down your worries and thoughts.
2. Acknowledge your thoughts and challenge them, rather than deny them. They may be negative, but they are just what they are, thoughts, the fact that you think the thoughts doesn't make them true. Don't let your thoughts rule or define you.
3. Learn to control your breathing. When we are anxious we tend to shallow, breathe. Taking shallow breaths, which itself, puts your body into a state of alert and causes us to feel even more anxious. Try some breathing and relaxation techniques
4. Bring your mind to the present. Don't try to live in the future, or in the past
5. Face the fear. Be prepared to feel a little uncomfortable, but know that you can overcome this. Change happens when we push ourselves.
The more you practice these five hints and tips, the better you will feel.
Hypnotherapy can provide helpful tailored specifically to you sessions.
Sessions can be undertaken online at your convenience or here in my treatment room.
And we'll address your own particular concerns.