Social Anxiety at its Worst & 4 Steps to Overcoming it?

A Poem about What was My Social Anxiety Like at its Worst?

Written by Sandra Glavan

I can’t be with people, I just can’t,
well, not unless I magically get a head transplant.

I’m such a freak, I feel so weird,
if only I could push a button for my mind to be cleared.

I find it impossible to relax in any social situation,
the thought of leaving my home makes me want to jump out of my skin with frustration.

Whenever I need to communicate, and mingle,
every one of my trillion cells starts to burn and tingle.

I feel like this in any social setting,
whether it’s being at work, taking a phone call or attending a wedding.

But the greatest pain I endure is when I get invited to anything,
because that’s when I feel extra irritable with my body trembling,
palms sweating and internal organs wrestling.

The reason for the extra anxiousness is because I feel guilty when I have to decline,
while unable to give valid reasons down the pipeline.

I struggle to make people understand that I can’t go out, be normal, and socialize,
when most of them think I’m exaggerating and telling them lies.

If only they knew how hard it is to be nervous and anxious when others are laughing and looking relaxed,
as well as trying to fake a smile while your social anxiety has been maxed.

In the past, I've tried to please others by ignoring my anxiety and going with the flow,
but nine times out of ten this resulted in panic attacks and me feeling worthless and low.

So, I've come to realize that it’s far worse if I accept invitations and then make a scene on the day,
rather than decline with guilt but at least keep my anxiety manageable in some way.

Words cannot begin to describe the amount of energy it takes to handle social anxiety,
that taming symptoms becomes the one and only priority.

 I don’t have a choice but to live my life around anxiety,
as it’s sabotaging me constantly,
without an excuse, any consideration, or an apology.

I hate being this way, I can promise you this,
and so, I dream every day to be without anxiety because I know that would be bliss.

  But for now, I just have to hide in order to survive,
even if I’m a thousand miles away from feeling alive.

As you can see from my poem, my social anxiety was pretty tough,
so, what did I do to stop feeling so anxious and rough?

The 4 Steps I Took to Overcome Social Anxiety

To overcome my social anxiety, I basically took 4 major steps, which were a natural progression even if they sound complex,
and these are also the steps I encourage you to take, if you want to start relieving anxiousness and enjoying some relaxing breaks.

But before I list the 4 steps in my healing equation,
I need to highlight a very important point which requires your reading focus elevation.

These steps not only helped me with social anxiety,
but they also healed my Generalized Anxiety Disorder after 20 years finally.

For that reason, I cannot recommend this healing process enough,
because this is not just something off the cuff.

So, here are the 4 steps

1. I Adopted a Healthy and Balanced Diet Tailored for Anxiety Relief

You might think it's strange that eating healthily can help with social anxiety,
but to have a successful anxiety healing journey, getting the right nutrients daily has to be your top priority.

Eating natural whole foods which are rich in vitamins, and minerals and are also healthy sources of carbs, protein, and fat,
is exactly what you need for your mind and the nervous system to begin to calm down and stop acting like a brat.

Also consuming foods rich in essential nutrients will give you the energy you need,
to continue adopting more anti-anxiety techniques and to succeed.

Basically, focus on whole grains, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, fresh herbs and less sweet fruits,
and cut out caffeine, processed foods and dairy without an excuse.

Related articles:

• The Anti-Anxiety Diet that Helped Me Manage Anxiety
• Top 10 Anti-Anxiety Foods to Calm Your Nerve

2. I Adapted a Calming and Healthy Lifestyle

Once you have adopted an anti-anxiety diet as I have just mentioned,
it’s then time to start giving your overall lifestyle more attention.

For example, regular walking, time in nature, more sunshine, and even yoga and meditation,
are a natural progression from eating healthily and are also a wonderful anti-anxiety lifestyle combination. 

Related articles:

• Top 9 Lifestyle Changes for Reducing Anxiety
• 12 Easy Yoga Poses for Anxiety
• 5 Guided Meditations for Anxiety
• 3 Best Exercises for Anxiety

3. I Gradually Changed My Negative Thought Patterns

When you have fully integrated a physical activity that you like and a form of relaxation,
you’ll want to next tackle your mindset frustration.

Identifying your negative thought patterns by journaling for half an hour every day,
is how you can transform your mindset into sunshine from dull and grey.

That’s because when you know what are your negative thoughts that keep repeating,
it is easier to come up with positive affirmations that can help with negative thought pattern reversing.

Of course, you need to commit to practicing your positive affirmations in front of the mirror every day,
if you want positive thoughts to imprint and stay.

• 42 Simple Journal Prompts for Anxiety
• 60 Best Positive Affirmations for Anxiety Relief
• Top 100 Inspirational Quotes for Anxiety Sufferer

4. I Worked Hard to Turn Self-Hate into Self-Love Through Inner Child Work

The root of social anxiety stems from childhood,
which is not always easy to see when in adulthood.

But the moment you start to recreate loving memories that were painful when you were small,
is when you’ll begin breaking down anxiety like a wall.

This type of technique is called inner child work,
and it involves painting your childhood from fresh like a beautiful piece of artwork.

When you start giving your inner child unconditional love,
is when you can begin to build in your current life self-love.

The reason this is the final step to overcome social anxiety,
is because you need to first adopt healthy eating, living and thinking to be in the right shape to handle inner child work properly.

Doing inner child work can be extremely draining, painful and emotional,
and that’s why you need your physical strength to make this healing technique approachable.

Related articles:

• The Completion Process by Teal Swan (Extremely Effective Inner Child Work)
• Ho'oponopono (Hawaiian Healing Method for the Inner Child)

Final Comments

I know this is a lot to take in my dear heart,
but for more info click on the links above and join my FREE Coaching Community before you depart.

Thank you for your time today,
I hope I have helped you in some way.

Love always

Heart-Based Life Coach

Sandra Glavan 

xoxo