Are you learning to manage social anxiety or agoraphobia? If yes, I would like to present a certain technique that I use for supporting people to start a winning battle over their social anxiety or agoraphobia.
Some of these experiences might be recognizable.
A perception of Intense self-focus
Never-ending sensation that folks are staring at you.
Amplified sense of worry.
Increased fear that people may see your anxiety as a weak point you have and then assault, ridicule or harm.
A feeling of humiliation that leads you to look away or look down regularly.
If you feel any of the above is familiar to you, then you will reap benefits from using this strategy.
So what's the approach?
This is it: Look up and look around any time you are in the general public. Get an idea of what people are really doing.
Now before you decide to quit on me and think this Idea is ineffective to you, permit me to encourage you to give the strategy a try out for at least 7 days.
Please don't make the mistake of assuming that the simplicity of this exercise means that it won't be of any use.
Why do you think people pick up this tendency to look down or away during these situations?
Typically, it may be because somehow, they presume that there is a strong reason to feel humiliated. It may be because they feel ugly, fat, peculiar or too tall. Hence they think that they are going to be isolated by people, laughed at or made a scape goat.
This technique works for two very simple reasons-
One, we learn that only about 1% of the people we come across might look at us. The remaining people don't tend to care one bit. They are way too busy to see anything. Failing to look up and about frequently makes us conclude that the 1% is equal to 100% of the people we meet.
Secondly, the same act of looking away happens to make anxieties worse. Try this out:
Ask another person who can help you out with this (It works better if the colleague is someone you don't know too well).
Put together a list of expressions containing the points you think people critic you negatively on, then get your supporter to pretend and read the sentences in an attacking fashion twice (e.g. What an unpleasant looking girl). At the first read look away with your back facing your friend, whilst he/ she reads then at the subsequent read turn back and face the friend.
You could possibly notice that you feel a little more uneasy when you're backing your friend. Surprisingly, the slight distressing impression still occurs even though you have presented the statement yourself (note that the exercise should work better if the provided sentence causes you to feel uneasy or bashful in the first place.)
So just how can you utilize the ideas offered in this article?
The exercise tends to be more efficient if you are able to get another person to come with you. It is highly important that the person you opt for is objective so if you can, don't choose people who are too close to you. In addition, a pair of sun shades might help you feel much more confident to look around.
Have a note pad and a pen along. Prior to leaving make a speculation of how many individuals you feel will look at you. Then go and walk around a somewhat crowded street or shopping complex.
For everybody that looks at you, mark a tick down on the paper and for everyone who does not look at you, mark a star down.
Your findings will more than likely surprise you.
Some of these experiences might be recognizable.
A perception of Intense self-focus
Never-ending sensation that folks are staring at you.
Amplified sense of worry.
Increased fear that people may see your anxiety as a weak point you have and then assault, ridicule or harm.
A feeling of humiliation that leads you to look away or look down regularly.
If you feel any of the above is familiar to you, then you will reap benefits from using this strategy.
So what's the approach?
This is it: Look up and look around any time you are in the general public. Get an idea of what people are really doing.
Now before you decide to quit on me and think this Idea is ineffective to you, permit me to encourage you to give the strategy a try out for at least 7 days.
Please don't make the mistake of assuming that the simplicity of this exercise means that it won't be of any use.
Why do you think people pick up this tendency to look down or away during these situations?
Typically, it may be because somehow, they presume that there is a strong reason to feel humiliated. It may be because they feel ugly, fat, peculiar or too tall. Hence they think that they are going to be isolated by people, laughed at or made a scape goat.
This technique works for two very simple reasons-
One, we learn that only about 1% of the people we come across might look at us. The remaining people don't tend to care one bit. They are way too busy to see anything. Failing to look up and about frequently makes us conclude that the 1% is equal to 100% of the people we meet.
Secondly, the same act of looking away happens to make anxieties worse. Try this out:
Ask another person who can help you out with this (It works better if the colleague is someone you don't know too well).
Put together a list of expressions containing the points you think people critic you negatively on, then get your supporter to pretend and read the sentences in an attacking fashion twice (e.g. What an unpleasant looking girl). At the first read look away with your back facing your friend, whilst he/ she reads then at the subsequent read turn back and face the friend.
You could possibly notice that you feel a little more uneasy when you're backing your friend. Surprisingly, the slight distressing impression still occurs even though you have presented the statement yourself (note that the exercise should work better if the provided sentence causes you to feel uneasy or bashful in the first place.)
So just how can you utilize the ideas offered in this article?
The exercise tends to be more efficient if you are able to get another person to come with you. It is highly important that the person you opt for is objective so if you can, don't choose people who are too close to you. In addition, a pair of sun shades might help you feel much more confident to look around.
Have a note pad and a pen along. Prior to leaving make a speculation of how many individuals you feel will look at you. Then go and walk around a somewhat crowded street or shopping complex.
For everybody that looks at you, mark a tick down on the paper and for everyone who does not look at you, mark a star down.
Your findings will more than likely surprise you.
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