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How To Make Friends With Social Anxiety

If She’s Acting Aloof It’s Probably Because Shes Trying To Control Her Anxiety

How Do You Make Friends if You Have Social Anxiety? | Kati Morton

If a friend with social anxiety seems disinterested in your conversation, like she’s ignoring you, or giving you the cold shoulder at a party, its not that she doesn’t want to talk to you. Shes just really focusing all her energy into quelling that anxiety. Often people dont notice socially anxious people are anxious, says Dianne Chambless, Ph.D., professor of psychology and director of clinical training for the University of Pennsylvanias department of psychology. It may just look like theyre acting cold. Which, ironically, can make someone come across as less likeable, the thing socially anxious people fear most.

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But That Doesnt Mean We Dont Want Friends

Just because we’re socially anxious doesn’t mean we’re hermits or recluses. We don’t want to be alone in fact, many of us cherish deep, beautiful conversations with people we trust. It can just be hard to get to that place. We wish we could skip over all the small chat and just get to the comfortable, warm “friend” part.

You Can Still Stay Social

Social distancing requires people to keep a distance of 2 meters apart. Yet, in 2020 physical distance doesnt need to get in the way of connecting socially. Medical professionals advise people to socialize through other means to help combat feelings of social isolation.

Alternative methods of social interaction:

  • Speaking over phone or text

  • Participating in social media or online forums

  • Mailing letters or cards

  • Connecting through email

Many people manage their anxiety with exercise. Even though many fitness and recreational facilities are closed, many of them have online sessions through video programs and social media.

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Tips For Making Friends Even If Youre Shy Or Socially Awkward

No matter how awkward or nervous you feel in the company of others, you can learn to silence self-critical thoughts, boost your self-esteem, and become more confident and secure in your interactions with others. You dont have to change your personality. By simply learning new skills and adopting a different outlook you can overcome your fears and anxiety and build rewarding friendships.

Try To Avoid Social Situations Less

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I know that sometimes avoiding a social situation when you have social anxiety is inevitable, as youre going to come across things that are just far too much for you to handle but if youre invited into a social situation that you know you could do but it makes you fairly anxious, try not to avoid it altogether. The more you avoid social situations or cancel plans, the less youll be invited in future because people will just always assume you wont be into it.

Try and say yes to as much stuff as your social anxiety allows and while you might find that you maintain good friendships that way, you may also find your anxiety decreasing each time.

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Ways To Help Your Teen Make And Keep Great Friends

Friendshipthat close connection with another person which allows us to feel valued and cared foris vital at any stage of life. The need for love and belonging has long been established as one of our basic needs as human beings. And it has been well documented that having strong, healthy relationships improves our self-esteem and overall well-being. As valuable as these connections are, however, they do not always come easily or naturally, particularly for adolescents.

Weve all known the charismatic, outgoing teenager who is friends with everyone and approaches social situations with ease and grace. Weve also known the awkward, insecure teenager who struggles to connect with people and becomes more withdrawn with each friendship that crashes and burns. While some of it has to do with personality and development, it is just as important to remember that just like so many aspects of adolescent development, making friends is a skill that can be learned.

If it seems like it was easier for your child to make friends when they were young, youre right. When kids are little, most of their friendships are cultivated and managed by adults. Parents set up play dates, organize the activities, and manage any conflict that pops up. Parents also plan birthdays and other parties, and manage the invitations, gifts, and RSVPs to make sure everyone is included.

The good news is making friends boils down to a series of skills that can be learned.

References:

Covid: How To Deal With Social Anxiety As Restrictions Ease

You can now sit in the pub, do a group exercise class and hug loved ones. But the easing of coronavirus rules in England, Scotland and Wales isn’t exciting for everyone – for those with social anxiety, life after lockdown can be a scary prospect.

Social anxiety disorder is a fear of social situations and includes worrying about meeting strangers, how to act with groups of friends and generally feeling self-conscious.

It can make everyday life extremely difficult and can manifest physically by causing sweating, palpitations or panic attacks.

“My social life has been completely depleted, I’ve not seen any of my friends and a lot of my friendships have been ruined by lockdown because they relied on social contact and proximity,” Maria Badmus tells Radio 1 Newsbeat.

She’s a 21-year-old midwife from east London and after graduating during the pandemic, says she has had to put her job first.

“I’m always busy working so I haven’t had time to text and I’m not someone who will break the rules to go to people’s houses because of my work, so I’ve been extremely socially absent for the past two lockdowns.”

As someone with social anxiety, she says before the pandemic she was generally anxious and found group settings difficult.

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‘i’m Going To Have To Push Myself’

Someone who’s also worried about the anxiety of being in group settings again is Oli Aworth, a 24-year-old student from Surrey.

“Nightclubs have always been a big issue for me – I’m much more looking forward to seeing friends in quieter places like pubs and bars,” he says.

“Anywhere crowded or too loud does tend to put me off and can present a challenge to my anxiety, but I know that if I want to see my friends I am going to have to push myself a bit once lockdown is over.”

He says because he’s been unable to confront his anxiety head on – by going out and socialising – he’s worried about how he will cope.

“The announcement piled on quite a lot of pressure, especially for me being in the LGBT community,” he says.

He thinks there’s a pressure within the community to come out of the pandemic looking physically good.

“It brings up issues of ‘do I look good enough?’ or ‘will my friends want to see me?’ and whether I’ve achieved enough during lockdown.”

Unhelpful Thinking Styles That Fuel Social Anxiety

Overcoming Social Anxiety | Marielle Cornes | TEDxYouth@MBJH

Ask yourself if youre engaging in any of the following unhelpful thinking styles:

  • Mind reading Assuming you know what other people are thinking, and that they see you in the same negative way that you see yourself.
  • Fortune telling Predicting the future, usually while assuming the worst will happen. You just know that things will go horribly, so youre already anxious before youre even in the situation.
  • Catastrophizing Blowing things out of proportion. For example, if people notice that youre nervous, it will be awful, terrible, or disastrous.
  • Personalizing Assuming that people are focusing on you in a negative way or that whats going on with other people has to do with you.

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Here Are Some Easy Ways To Engage In Conversation With Someone New

Remark on the surroundings or occasion. If youre at a party, for example, you could comment on the venue, the catering, or the music in a positive way. I love this song,The foods great. Have you tried the chicken?

Ask an open-ended question, one that requires more than just a yes or no answer. Adhere to the journalists credo and ask a question that begins with one of the 5 Ws : who, where, when, what, why, or how. For example, Who do you know here?Where do you normally go on a Friday?When did you move here?What keeps you busy?Why did you decide to become a vegetarian?How is the wine? Most people enjoy talking about themselves so asking a question is a good way to get a conversation started.

Use a compliment. For example, I really like your purse, can I ask where you got it? or You look like youve done this before, can you tell me where I have to sign in?

Note anything you have in common and ask a follow up question.I play golf as well, whats your favorite local course?My daughter went to that school, too, how does your son like it?

Keep the conversation going with small talk. Dont say something thats obviously provocative and avoid heavy subjects such as politics or religion. Stick to light subjects like the weather, surroundings, and anything you have in common such as school, movies, or sports teams.

Understand How To Maintain The Friendships You Make

Meeting people is just one step on your journey to making friends. You will also need to take steps to maintain your friendships once you have made them. That means keeping up with communication and potentially meeting up with your new friends.

Make plans with your new friends and stick to them. Try to avoid dipping out on the plans you make, as you could risk resolving your new friendship while there are some instances where you will have to take a raincheck on your plans, try not to let it happen too often!

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Stop Actively Trying To Make Friends Especially If Its Just Not Working Out

The more you try to make friends, the more you overthink things, and we all know that overthinking can lead to panic attacks and upset stomachs. Making friends is an organic process, so don’t try to force anything to happen. Sometimes people don’t share chemistry, and that’s okay.

As long as you’re being as genuine and true to yourself as possible in a social situation, then friends will come to you. If rom-coms have taught us anything it’s that trying to be someone you’re not always get you in mega trouble.

Im Introverted And Socially Awkward How Can I Make Friends

Overcoming Social Anxiety by HowExpert (English) Paperback ...

Thanks for writing. From what I could glean from your relatively brief message, I sensed both anxiety and some possible defensiveness on your part in regard to meeting people. Humor, like anything else, can be used a number of ways by sarcastic I wonder if you mean laughing with or laughing at the potential friend.

Suspicion and negativity, too, can be used for self-protection, thus I make a very rough guess that perhaps there is a fear of being hurt. Im wondering if you have been hurt by people in the past and are wary of trusting again? Or is there a crisis of confidence or self-esteem that might make you wary of allowing people to get to know you? I can assure you that everyone goes through such a challenge at one time or another people who question their confidence or abilities are almost always harder on themselves than anyone else.

It also might be worth pausing to reflect about the negativity and sarcasm, which can be endearing or off-putting, depending on context. Im not entirely sure what you mean by negativity. And if youre being sarcastic about some pop-culture figure or the latest politician in trouble, for instance, that can be an icebreaker if its about the host of the party, it could backfire. You may have a dry wit, for instance , but does it come across more cutting than you intend?

Sincerely,

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Ask Questions That Show Interest In Others

When you talk with someone else, asking questions shows that theyre important to you and makes the conversation go more smoothly. It will show that youre interested in them and their life. Avoid difficult questions that may be confusing or hard to answer, and ask questions about specific things about them instead, such as what they do for fun or what their family is like.

Building Social Skills One Step At A Time

Improving social skills requires practice. Just as you wouldnt expect to become good on the guitar without some effort, dont expect to become comfortable socially without putting in the time. That said, you can start small. Take baby steps towards being more confident and social, then build on those successes.

  • Smile at someone you pass on the street.
  • Compliment someone you encounter during your day.
  • Ask someone a casual question
  • Start a conversation with a friendly cashier, receptionist, waiter, or salesperson.

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Understanding Shyness And Loneliness

As humans, were meant to be social creatures. Having friends makes us happier and healthierin fact, being socially connected is key to our mental and emotional health. Yet many of us are shy and socially introverted. We feel awkward around unfamiliar people, unsure of what to say, or worried about what others might think of us. This can cause us to avoid social situations, cut ourselves off from others, and gradually become isolated and lonely.

Loneliness is a common problem among people of all ages and backgrounds, and yet its something that most of us hesitate to admit. But loneliness is nothing to feel ashamed about. Sometimes, its a result of external circumstances: youve moved to a new area, for example. In such cases, there are lots of steps you can take to meet new people and turn acquaintances into friends.

But what if youre struggling with shyness, social insecurity, or a long-standing difficulty making friends? The truth is that none of us are born with social skills. Theyre things we learn over timeand the good news is that you can learn them, too.

No matter how nervous you feel in the company of others, you can learn to silence self-critical thoughts, boost your self-esteem, and become more confident in your interactions with others. You dont have to change your personality, but by learning new skills and adopting a different outlook you can overcome shyness or social awkwardness, banish loneliness, and enjoy strong, fulfilling friendships.

Talk With A Therapist

Severe Social Anxiety vs Being an Introvert [Key Differences]

Despite what some people might suggest, social anxiety goes beyond shyness, or feeling uneasy and nervous around new people. Social anxiety is a mental health condition, and its not always possible to work through symptoms yourself.

You can do a lot on your own to manage the anxiety and distress you experience, but getting professional support is always a good place to start.

A trained mental health professional can:

  • offer more insight on the difference between social anxiety and shyness
  • help you identify social anxiety triggers
  • teach helpful coping strategies, social skills, and relaxation techniques
  • offer guidance with challenging and replacing or reframing negative thoughts

Therapy also offers a safe environment to practice navigating anxiety-provoking situations through graduated exposure, one potential treatment for social anxiety.

Your therapist might recommend group therapy or support groups, which give you the chance to practice social skills and interact with other people also coping with social anxiety.

A therapist can also refer you to a psychiatrist, who can prescribe medication for social anxiety. Medication can provide some relief from severe symptoms, making it easier to start working through them in therapy.

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