Social Anxiety Attacks
Do you experience social anxiety when asked to do speak in front of people? Feelings of apprehension and nervousness are natural when you’re at the center of attention. People who experience extreme anxiety and fear however during these situations are likely to have social phobia disorder.
This is actually quite a common disorder which falls under the umbrella of anxiety disorders. Social anxiety disorder is very treatable and the success rate of therapy is high. Medication can help alleviate symptoms of social phobia but it is not a long term solution.
In addition to treatments, sufferers can apply self help techniques to help them overcome Social Anxiety. Relaxation and visualization techniques can be highly effective especially when practiced regularly. When you vividly imagine something you’re nervous system reacts in the same way as when you’re actually doing it.
Imagination has more power over your emotions than most of us realize. You might feel anxious and scared just by thinking of something you fear. Just as the mind picks up negative behaviors it can also learn positive ones. Like riding a bike the brain makes stronger connections each time until it becomes a subconscious ability.
Many pro athletes visualize winning before an event. Pro golfers practice their swing in their minds before actually taking a swing. Every time strengthening their mental reflex and improving their game. New behaviors can be born from practicing visualizations alone. Social anxiety, shyness and confidence problems; you can implement visualization techniques to improve any aspect of your life.
Imagine that you’ve been asked to head the next meet. On hearing this you start feeling immense dread and you begin to visualize being humiliated in front of everyone. You start to get anxiety symptoms like a tight chest, shaking and a racing heart. On the day you feel like a total wreck and the experience is one you’d rather forget.
When a social anxiety sufferer constantly focuses on the worst that can happen it’s easy to see how it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. By using positive visualizations and affirmations it is possible to break from old habits and learn new ones. With regular practice fears and phobias can be overcome.
You can apply visualization techniques anytime. Sit down in a comfortable place with your eyes closed. Start to inhale and exhale slowly and deeply, and relax your muscles on each out breath. Imagine seeing yourself full of confidence and able to tackle any social situation. How would you look, talk and feel? Think about how your presence would be and how others would see you.
In your mind take the new confident you into all areas of your life and see how great it would be to not suffer from Anxiety symptoms. Let that internal voice in your head tell you positive things. Praise yourself and make yourself feel good. Imagine yourself standing in front of everyone at your next meeting and giving an amazing presentation. See yourself in complete control and everybody giving you praise at the end.
Play this visualization over in your head a few times and then finally stir yourself out of deep relaxation. Did you feel good? If you gave a presentation now would you feel as scared or embarrassed as usual? Practicing this everyday can do immense good. Part of putting on a great performance is acting. Even if you feel anxious and nervous, project confidence, no one has to know. The more you practice the more you will improve.