It’s natural for each of us to find ourselves nervous in certain social situations. However, if you find everyday events to be a challenge, you may struggle with a social anxiety disorder (also known as social phobia). In such cases, you’re likely trying to figure out how to overcome social anxiety.

While it isn’t easy, several techniques can make it easier to socialize with others. Throughout this article, we’ll take a deeper look at how to overcome social anxiety disorder.

What is Social Anxiety?

Simply put, a social anxiety disorder is when one experiences generalized anxiety in social situations. ¹ Symptoms of the condition can vary from person to person, but can be divided into two sets:

Emotional and Behavioral Symptoms: ² ³ ⁴

• Avoiding people and activities
• Expecting the worst from situations
• Fear of judgment
• Fear of physical anxiety symptoms (see below)
• Feelings of anxiety before an activity
• Rethinking social situations
• Severe anxiety when interacting with strangers

Physical Symptoms: ⁵

• Blushing
• Difficulty with breathing
• Fatigue
• Feeling your mind go blank
• Headaches and dizziness
• Muscle tension
• Rapid heartbeat
• Sweating
• Trembling
• Upset stomach (sometimes includes nausea)

It remains unclear what the root cause of social anxiety is, but scientists believe it’s a combination of brain structure, environment, and genetics. Furthermore, those who have experienced previous trauma are more susceptible to social anxiety. ⁶

How to Overcome Social Anxiety

To overcome social anxiety, it’s important to address it as soon as possible. When left untreated, social anxiety can damage relationships with others and lead to social isolation (which can cause depression).

Luckily, compared to other mental illnesses, social anxiety is very treatable. There are a few techniques to overcome it. However, remember that these may not work for everyone. Here are some of the most common coping mechanisms for social anxiety.

1.) Cognitive Behavior Therapy

When it comes to social anxiety treatment, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is by far the most effective. CBT requires you to consider your thought patterns about social situations and develop techniques to modify your behavior. ⁷

For example, if you fear a social event will cause you to blush and someone may see you blushing, then it’s in your interest to identify where this fear is coming from. It also helps to adopt techniques to overcome this fear.

CBT is a very personal process and your experience will likely differ from another person’s. However, it has been an integral part of many in overcoming social anxiety, and chances are it will be for you too.

2.) Slowly Put Yourself in Anxiety-Inducing Situations

To incorporate what you learn in CBT, it helps to place yourself to “situational exposure.” This is the process of gradually putting yourself in situations where you know anxiety will be induced. ⁸

Most medical professionals would recommend you start small. For example, going to a cafe with a friend or doing an activity on your own that you wouldn’t normally do (i.e. grocery shopping).

From there, you can identify your anxiety based on the following rating:

• 0 – Perfectly relaxed
• 25 – 49 – Mild anxiety. Can cope with the situation.
• 50 – 64 – Moderate. Distracted by anxiety, but aware.
• 65 – 84 – High. Difficult to concentrate on anything but anxiety.
• 85 – 100 – Extreme. Anxiety is overwhelming and you want to escape.

Once you’ve managed a rating between 0 and 49 in these smaller situations, you can work your way up to events that tend to cause more severe anxiety, such as large social gatherings or public speaking.

3.) Practice Public Speaking

If your social anxiety is mild to moderate (i.e. it’s not causing anxiety attacks), you may want to practice public speaking. This is a great way to face your fears while also identifying what thought processes cause you to have those fears in the first place.

Several groups allow you to practice public speaking without being in the position. Furthermore, certain types of exposure therapy allow you to simulate public speaking and work through the process with a therapist. ⁹

4.) Develop a Support System

Many with social anxiety struggle to tell those around them that they have this condition. However, those who can develop a support system are much more likely to feel comfortable in social situations.

Ideally, you want someone who can support you in becoming more independent. In most cases, a socially anxious person needs a trusted friend or family member to guide them through these situations while advocating they take on certain events alone.

It’s a difficult process and not everyone is equipped to support someone with anxiety. However, if you can find that one person, getting in the habit of going to social events can become much easier.

5.) Exercise and Other Physical Activities

To further eliminate anxiety, it’s beneficial to take on certain lifestyle changes that help reduce it. One of the most notable is exercise as many studies have proven it can help lower the presence of symptoms. ¹⁰

Furthermore, this doesn’t require you to go about a rigorous exercise. Regularly incorporating simple activities such as jogging or hiking can make all the difference.

Some have also found other forms of physical activity helpful (i.e. yoga). This allows you to practice breathing techniques while naturally lowering your blood pressure and heart rate. ¹¹

6.) Dieting and Supplements

You are what you eat. While it isn’t always the case, people with social anxiety tend to have unstable diets that don’t identify their condition. By eating healthier and taking anxiety-reducing supplements, you’re less likely to feel anxiety throughout the day. ¹²

But what does eating healthier look like? Here are some tips:

1. Eat small, regular meals
2. Intake plenty of whole grains and good carbohydrates
3. Avoid refined sugars
4. Opt for herbal tea instead of coffee
5. Avoid alcohol and other substances
6. Drink plenty of water

Alongside these diet changes, it can also help to take the following supplements:

• Cannabidiol (CBD)
• Chamomile
• Lavender
• Multi-vitamins
• Omega-3 fatty acids
• Valerian

If you’re already on medication for social anxiety, we recommend consulting a doctor before incorporating other supplements into your regimen.

7.) Breathing Techniques

One of the most common symptoms of anxiety is rapid, shallow, and uncontrollable breathing. This symptom can escalate and leave you feeling tense, dizzy, and suffocated. ¹³

To overcome these negative patterns, you need slow breathing exercises. These may involve:

• 4-7-8 breathing
• Alternate-nostril breathing
• Belly breathing
• Box breathing
• Lion’s breath
• Mindful breathing
• Pursed-lip breathing
• Resonance breathing

To get a better idea of what each of these techniques entails, we recommend doing more research and practicing one or two at a time.

Final Word – Go Easy on Yourself

Overcoming anxiety isn’t an easy process. You should be proud of yourself for simply coming to this page and trying to research the process on your own.

The next steps you take are likely going to come with obstacles. And when those problems arise, it’s only natural you may be hard on yourself.

However, it’s important to remember that by simply trying to overcome social anxiety, you put in more effort than is expected. And for that reason, you should be proud of yourself and continue with positivity.

References

¹ Rose GM, Tadi P. Social Anxiety Disorder. 2022 Oct 25. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan–. PMID: 32310350.

² Goldin PR, Manber-Ball T, Werner K, Heimberg R, Gross JJ. Neural mechanisms of cognitive reappraisal of negative self-beliefs in social anxiety disorder. Biol Psychiatry. 2009 Dec 15;66(12):1091-9. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2009.07.014. Epub 2009 Aug 31. PMID: 19717138; PMCID: PMC2788040.

³ Shah SG, Klumpp H, Angstadt M, Nathan PJ, Phan KL. Amygdala and insula response to emotional images in patients with generalized social anxiety disorder. J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2009 Jul;34(4):296-302. PMID: 19568481; PMCID: PMC2702447.

⁴ Ziv M, Goldin PR, Jazaieri H, Hahn KS, Gross JJ. Emotion regulation in social anxiety disorder: behavioral and neural responses to three socio-emotional tasks. Biol Mood Anxiety Disord. 2013 Nov 4;3(1):20. doi: 10.1186/2045-5380-3-20. PMID: 24517388; PMCID: PMC4029608.

⁵ Alhadi AN, Alageel MA, Alsuhaibani FA, Alkaff HM, Albawardi MS, Alfaifi AA, Duraihem TB, Alhayes FA. Prevalence and Severity of Social Anxiety Symptoms and Their Relationship With Body Dysmorphic Symptoms. Cureus. 2024 Feb 2;16(2):e53436. doi: 10.7759/cureus.53436. PMID: 38435158; PMCID: PMC10909235.

⁶ Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (US). Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); 2014. (Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series, No. 57.) Chapter 3, Understanding the Impact of Trauma. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK207191/

⁷ Goldin PR, Ziv M, Jazaieri H, Hahn K, Heimberg R, Gross JJ. Impact of cognitive behavioral therapy for social anxiety disorder on the neural dynamics of cognitive reappraisal of negative self-beliefs: randomized clinical trial. JAMA Psychiatry. 2013 Oct;70(10):1048-56. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2013.234. PMID: 23945981; PMCID: PMC4141477.

⁸ Fang A, Sawyer AT, Asnaani A, Hofmann S. Social Mishap Exposures for Social Anxiety Disorder: An Important Treatment Ingredient. Cogn Behav Pract. 2013 May 1;20(2):213-220. doi: 10.1016/j.cbpra.2012.05.003. PMID: 25419100; PMCID: PMC4238930.

⁹ Lindner P, Dagöö J, Hamilton W, Miloff A, Andersson G, Schill A, Carlbring P. Virtual Reality exposure therapy for public speaking anxiety in routine care: a single-subject effectiveness trial. Cogn Behav Ther. 2021 Jan;50(1):67-87. doi: 10.1080/16506073.2020.1795240. Epub 2020 Sep 1. PMID: 32870126.

¹⁰ Anderson E, Shivakumar G. Effects of exercise and physical activity on anxiety. Front Psychiatry. 2013 Apr 23;4:27. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2013.00027. PMID: 23630504; PMCID: PMC3632802.

¹¹ Woodyard C. Exploring the therapeutic effects of yoga and its ability to increase quality of life. Int J Yoga. 2011 Jul;4(2):49-54. doi: 10.4103/0973-6131.85485. PMID: 22022122; PMCID: PMC3193654.

¹² Norwitz NG, Naidoo U. Nutrition as Metabolic Treatment for Anxiety. Front Psychiatry. 2021 Feb 12;12:598119. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.598119. PMID: 33643090; PMCID: PMC7907178.

¹³ Ma X, Yue ZQ, Gong ZQ, Zhang H, Duan NY, Shi YT, Wei GX, Li YF. The Effect of Diaphragmatic Breathing on Attention, Negative Affect and Stress in Healthy Adults. Front Psychol. 2017 Jun 6;8:874. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00874. PMID: 28626434; PMCID: PMC5455070.