Suffering from anxiety is a serious issue, and it can be truly devastating to your overall quality of life. Anxiety comes in many different shapes and sizes, and there’s no instant “fixes”. It takes time and effort to work with your anxiety, and you might just have to accept the fact that you’ll never heal completely. BUT there’s also good news: Most people will recover from it eventually, all it takes is efforts and a change in your attitude towards things.

Social phobia, or social anxiety disorder, is one of the five major types of anxiety disorders, and basically it makes the person suffering from it excessively self-conscious in most everyday social situations. Some suffer from it in specific situations, but in its most severe form a person would endure the symptoms during any social situations. This guide serves as a helping hand to those suffering from social anxiety disorder, and shouldn’t be considered medical advice. It is purely based on personal experiences, with the hopes that it can help other people cope with or, perhaps, overcome their symptoms.

The Biggest Lie You’ve Ever Been Told

So, you’re walking on the street and seeing people smile. You think to yourself “why is everyone so happy? All I can think of, is how to escape this horrible world!”

Well, what you have to ALWAYS remind yourself of, is that your mind sometimes plays a trick on you. You’re made to think that everyone is oh-so happy and have no worries, and clearly you’re the only one that doesn’t fit into the crowd. But you know what?

Chances are that some of those people passing you in the street, feel the same as you do. They feel just as awkward and misplaced as you do, but none of them say it out loud. It’s tabu to talk about these things, and that’s most likely why so many suffer from social anxiety disorder.

Think of it this way: Most people these days are very conscious about the way they appear in front of other people. And that’s totally normal.

Here’s How to Cope With Social Anxiety

I know it might sound a bit over the top, but there’s a few things you can actually do in order to better cope with social anxiety. You have to adjust your brain a bit though, and maybe it isn’t the easiest thing to do. But here goes:

  1. Consider other people as equal-minded.
  2. Try seeing through their “perfect” superficial appearance.
  3. Understand that other people are suffering too.
  4. Learn that you’re not alone.

Once you start “seeing” people differently, you’ll slowly understand that you’re not the only one struggling to cope with society. Lots of people struggle just like you do.

Most people just want to get by and stick to themselves, and chances are they don’t even notice you when you walk past them. It’s all inside your head. Your brain wants you to think that they actually notice you, but in reality they don’t. To them, you’re just a regular stranger, and everyone meets so many different people everyday.

Where to Start?

Now you’re probably wondering how to start, and where to start? Fear not, there’s a lot of options for you, regardless of your location.

A great way to start the healing process, is to get out and start exercising. You could also stay at home and work on your abs, but most importantly start raising your pulse in small sessions during the day. You can do so on a treadmill, but you can also go for a walk outside if weather is suitable. If you want to stay at home, you could try checking out the best compact treadmills for small spaces, which is a guide provided by ConsumerJar for those seeking a treadmill for use in their home.

Author's Bio: 

Thomas Hansen knows a thing or two about anxiety due to personal experience, and managed to get better over a longer period of time. He likes to help others, which is part of the reason why he submits articles to Selfgrowth.