7 Tips for Reducing Anxiety and Social Phobia

Everyone gets stressed at times. Whether it’s at home, the office, in the streets or just commuting home, there are things that can make you feel stressed everywhere. When you get stressed it spikes your blood pressure, lowering your body’s defenses and ability to stay calm, which can cause feelings of anxiety and social phobia.

However, you don’t have to go to a spa or a weekend retreat to relieve all the stress in your body to stay calm. You can be your own stress-busting reliever. All you have to do is learn is how to spot what’s making you feel stressed  and stay in control when you feel pressure rising.

Here are some quick tips for reducing anxiety, which can in turn reduce social phobia through lightening your mood and giving you a clearer perspective on things:

1. Meditate

Multiple research studies have found that daily meditation can alter the brain’s neural pathways. This can make you more resilient to stress and just a few minutes of meditating each day can help reduce anxiety. There are many great meditation apps you can download on your smartphones that can guide you through a meditation.

2. Deep Breathing

Just by taking a 5 minute break and focusing on breathing deeply is a powerful anxiety-reducing technique. This is because it activates the body’s relaxation response.

“Try slowly inhaling to a count of 4, filling your belly first and then your chest, gently holding your breath to a count of 4, and slowly exhaling to a count of 4 and repeat several times” as suggested by Marla W. Deibler, PsyD, a clinical psychologist and director of The Center for Emotional Health of Greater Philadelphia, LLC.

3. Be Present

Focus on what’s happening in the moment when you feel stressed. When we are anxious we tend to think ahead and stress out on the uncomforting thoughts on what might happen in the future. You need to check whether this is what is making you feel anxious and slow down. When you spend time in the moment and focus on your senses, you naturally feel less tense and more calm.

4. Reach Out

Be more open about how you feel at the moment to your siblings, friends, parents or any of the closest people that you trust and you can draw support from. Your real life social network is one of your best sources of support to help you handle stress and anxiety better.

5. Laugh Out Loud

As they say, ‘laughter is the best medicine’. Laughter is a good anxiety reliever, it also raises feel good hormones which serve as a strong counterbalance to anxiety and depression. The best way to use laughter as a stress and anxiety reliever is sharing those joyful and humorous situations with friends and family. You can arrange a weekend gathering at your place and binge watch your favorite shows or have a movie marathon. Sharing fun times with friends is one of the most effective ways to counter low thoughts that can make you feel anxious.

6. Get Moving

Exercise is an excellent stress and anxiety reliever. It helps lighten your mood and release feel good endorphins that give you a new perspective on things. You don’t have to stick to a stiff exercise regimen in order to get moving or become a gym bunny. You can use the stairs instead of the elevator, walk or jog around your block during weekends or walk your dog to your nearest park. Get out and enjoy your local surroundings instead of sulking in your bedroom or slumped in front of the TV all day.

7. Be Grateful

No matter how your day turns out, there are always positive things that you can be grateful for. Keep a gratitude journal to remind yourself that life is not that bad at all and there are a lot of things to be thankful for.

As wellness coach Joni Emmerling puts it, “Being thankful of all your blessings keeps out the negative thoughts and worries.”

Originally posted 2014-09-19 22:44:39. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

7 Tips for Reducing Anxiety and Social Phobia is a post from: Social Anxiety Disorder Self Help Strategies. Overcome Social Phobia For Good

from Social Anxiety Disorder Self Help Strategies. Overcome Social Phobia For Good http://ift.tt/1wxljrQ
via IFTTT

New Study Highlights Benefits of Exercise for Helping Treat Social Anxiety

Yet again, studies and research have proven the how relaxation activities, such as yoga and work out exercises, help in the treatment of social anxiety. The research was published in the journal PLOS ONE and headed by Adam Heenan, a clinical psychology PHD candidate at Queens University in Canada. Heenan said that workout and relaxation exercises are able to change people’s perception of the world, thus reducing threatening and negative feelings.

The participants in the study were between the age of 17 to 29, which composed of both male and female. They give no information on their state of mental health at the time of the study and their level of social anxiety was solely assessed by some of the tests the Heenan’s given them.

The test asked participants to view a point-light display of a person walking and asked whether the figure was approaching them or not. A lot of them said that the figure was walking towards them. Heenan concluded that this was a sign of social anxiety and intimidation, with rates higher before their relaxation exercises than after.

“We found that people who either walked or jogged on a treadmill for 10 minutes perceived these ambiguous figures as facing towards them as the observer less often that those who simply stood on the treadmill,” says Heenan.

As a person who had suffered the stigma of social anxiety disorder motivating one’s self to do a simple exercise is a challenge itself. Everyday, I always promise myself to do an hour of jogging the next morning. But when I wake up the next day, I feel unenthusiastic and anxious that I might see my high school friends, an old crush or even my neighbor’s scrutinizing eyes. It’s hard to convince myself that it’s all good and that every uncomfortable thoughts were just in my head.

But when you manage to change those negative thoughts into positive ones then nothing is impossible. Any means of exercise is good for the body, soul and mind. When I started to take control of myself and took care of my health I found new goals and aspiration to live with.

Originally posted 2014-07-22 13:32:06. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

New Study Highlights Benefits of Exercise for Helping Treat Social Anxiety is a post from: Social Anxiety Disorder Self Help Strategies. Overcome Social Phobia For Good

from Social Anxiety Disorder Self Help Strategies. Overcome Social Phobia For Good http://ift.tt/1p5M1Cb
via IFTTT

21 Social Anxiety Quotes to Help You Feel Motivated to Seize the Day

Try remembering some of social anxiety quotes which you can refer to whenever you need some motivation and to lighten your mood

Ever have those day’s when you wake up the following morning feeling completely blanked out and lethargic? I felt like that this morning, probably because it’s a Monday. I just didn’t want to get up, and just lay there on my bed staring at the ceiling. My mind was telling me to get up to start my day but I couldn’t seem to escape the feeling of being tied to my bed.

I think it was because I was lacking the motivation, and my social anxiety was acting up again. In any case, I decided to look up some uplifting social anxiety quotes to help find some energy and focus.

I often avoided social interactions growing up, I felt awkward whenever I needed to introduce myself to someone or my sisters introduced their new friends to me. I kept on thinking how come I feel these weird uncomfortable feelings over and over again? When I am in doubt of myself and anxious of what people might think of me, I always remember these few lines from the poem Desiderata:

“If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater & lesser persons that yourself.” “Speak your TRUTH QUIETLY & CLEARLY, and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant, they too have their story.”

If you are having self-doubt and want to lift your spirits and feel more positive, try using some of these social anxiety quotes to help lighten you up and inspire you to approach the day in a new light.

Social Anxiety Quotes

1. “All too frequently, anxiety crushes not only your spirit and your potential, but your ability to take care of your mind and body.” ~Jonathan Davidson and Henry Dreher, The Anxiety Book: Developing Strength in the Face of Fear.

2. “Worry, doubt, fear and despair are the enemies which slowly bring us down to the ground and turn us to dust before we die.” ~Attributed to Douglas MacArthur

3. “Do not be afraid of tomorrow, for God is already there.” ~Author Unknown

4. “Today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday.” ~Author Unknown

5. “We experience moments absolutely free from worry. These brief respites are called panic.” ~Cullen Hightower

6. “Worry is a complete cycle of inefficient thought revolving about a pivot of fear.” ~Author Unknown

7 “To fear is one thing. To let fear grab you by the tail and swing you around is another.” ~Katherine Paterson, Jacob Have I Loved

8. “Once you become self-conscious, there is no end to it; once you start to doubt, there is no room for anything else.” ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic’s Notebook, 1960

9. “Shyness has a strange element of narcissism, a belief that how we look, how we perform, is truly important to other people.” ~André Dubus

10. “The shy and the extroverted have this in common — that they both fancy they are the center of attention.” ~Robert Brault, rbrault.blogspot.com

11. “When I am anxious it is because I am living in the future. When I am depressed it is because I am living in the past.” ~Author Unknown

12. “Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better. What if they are a little course, and you may get your coat soiled or torn? What if you do fail, and get fairly rolled in the dirt once or twice. Up again, you shall never be so afraid of a tumble.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

13. “If you can’t sleep, then get up and do something instead of lying there worrying. It’s the worry that gets you, not the lack of sleep.” ~Dale Carnegie

14. “If one is forever cautious, can one remain a human being?” ~Aleksander Solzhenitsyn

15. “Real difficulties can be overcome, it is only the imaginary ones that are unconquerable.” ~Theodore N. Vail

16. “People gather bundles of sticks to build bridges they never cross.” ~Author Unknown

17. “Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere.” ~Glenn Turner

18. “There are two days in the week about which and upon which I never worry… Yesterday and Tomorrow.” ~Robert Jones Burdette

19. “If a man harbors any sort of fear, it percolates through all thinking, damages his personality and makes him a landlord to a ghost.” ~Lloyd Douglas

20. “Other people’s opinion of you does not have to become your reality.” ~Les Brown

21. “You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You’re on your own.
And you know what you know.
You are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”
~Dr. Seuss

 

Originally posted 2014-12-01 10:04:41. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

21 Social Anxiety Quotes to Help You Feel Motivated to Seize the Day is a post from: Social Anxiety Disorder Self Help Strategies. Overcome Social Phobia For Good

from Social Anxiety Disorder Self Help Strategies. Overcome Social Phobia For Good http://ift.tt/1rM81UX
via IFTTT

How Can I Do a Test for Social Anxiety Disorder?

Over the last few decades recognition of social anxiety disorder has grown rapidly. No longer is it seen as just a case of someone being over sensitive, too shy or introverted, but a recognised and diagnosable condition. But as with all anxiety disorders, it can be difficult to test for social phobia without clear guidance from a doctor or a psychiatrist.

It’s not like having a fever, when you can just check someone’s temperature or their physical symptoms. What’s more, social anxiety disorder can be a complex condition, with symptoms that can very in severity dramatically between individuals. Some people might just prefer to avoid going to parties and speaking in front of people they don’t know, while others might struggle to leave their house altogether due to the fear of negative stares.

Thankfully, a social anxiety disorder test was devised by Dr Michael R. Liebowitz, a psychiatrist and researcher at Columbia University, New York. First devised in 1987, his social anxiety disorder test continues to be the most widely used and recognised method of diagnosing the condition. Studies have shown it to be an efficient and cost effective way for people to test for social anxiety disorder so they can then progress towards beginning a process of treating the inaccurate, underlying thoughts that drive it.

What is the social anxiety disorder test?

The Liebowitz Social Anxiety Disorder Test consists of 24 questions designed to assess the scale at which social phobia affects your life based on an overall score of its severity. Thirteen of the questions focus on performance related anxiety, such as speaking on a phone in public or talking to someone in authority, while eleven deal with social situations, such as going to a party or speaking in a meeting.

After completing all the questions you are then given a score out of 144. If your score is high, and you are classified in the more severe categories, the important thing is to not feel down and depressed. The fact is that, as with all diagnosable conditions, social anxiety disorder can be treated.

With a diagnosis comes treatment

If you think you might be suffering from social anxiety disorder, the wisest thing to do is to visit a medical professional, whether it’s a doctor or a psychotherapist. They can give you a professional diagnosis along with advice on the best course of action to reduce your symptoms to the level where social anxiety disorder no longer gets in the way of living a fulfilling life.

If your social anxiety is fairly mild, it could be that all you may need to do is to start making some lifestyle changes, such as taking up new hobbies that give you a sense of achievement and boost your esteem as well as provide you with healthier interactions with other people. In more severe cases, where social anxiety disorder is causing you to feel depressed and is adversely affecting your life, then seeing a cognitive behavioural therapist along with a course of medication might be advisable.

So it’s wise to consult a medical professional, whether it’s a doctor or a psychiatrist, for a diagnosis and advice if your anxious thoughts and feelings are getting in the way of your ability to enjoy a happy, fulfilling life.

Originally posted 2013-06-04 14:19:53. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

How Can I Do a Test for Social Anxiety Disorder? is a post from: Social Anxiety Disorder Self Help Strategies. Overcome Social Phobia For Good

from Social Anxiety Disorder Self Help Strategies. Overcome Social Phobia For Good http://ift.tt/17Ti5EX
via IFTTT

15 Million Americans Estimated to Suffer from Social Anxiety

It looks as though my overcoming social anxiety disorder website is nearly up and running at just the right time based on the recent news headlines.

In the results of a survey, announced in Businessweek, it was discovered that potentially 15 million Americans could suffer from social anxiety, with it damaging their ability to live fulfilling social and romantic lives.

The fear of encountering hostility or rejection from other people means that millions of Americans are living isolated from their peers.

Some of the findings included:

• 36% suffer from social phobia for 10 years or more before getting help.
• Most started developing social problems in their early teens.
• Nearly 60% feel ashamed of their condition.
• 75% felt their social fears affected their ability to engage in everyday activities.

However, there is a glimmer of light shining between the clouds that are covering so many people’s lives in gloom because the survey also found that nearly 60% were able to build happy love lives after receiving treatment.

We no longer live in the dark ages when it comes to social anxiety – with all the research and clinical studies from the last 50 years providing in-depth understanding into how the condition can be treated.

A combination of cognitive behavioral therapy, relaxation techniques and antidepressant medication can enable people to shed the shackles of their social anxiety and live happy, fulfilling lives.

It’s just a shame that so many people take so long to get help and lose active years of their lives in the process.

Which is why I started this website – to spread awareness on CBT and enable more people to be able to build fulfilling relationships with others.

Originally posted 2008-04-16 22:32:04. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

15 Million Americans Estimated to Suffer from Social Anxiety is a post from: Social Anxiety Disorder Self Help Strategies. Overcome Social Phobia For Good

from Social Anxiety Disorder Self Help Strategies. Overcome Social Phobia For Good http://ift.tt/1rzDGxy
via IFTTT

Can Botox Treat Social Anxiety and Depression? Or is it Just a Temporary Fix?

Botox is used to medically treat muscular conditions and cosmetically remove wrinkles by paralyzing the muscles. But the question is, how can it cure depression? Dr. Eric Finzi, a Maryland dermatologist, has suggested it could be used to treat depression. In his study, published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research,  Dr. Finzi observed a reported 52 percent reduction in depressed patients injected with Botox, compared to 15 percent in the ones who received the saline placebo. One of his patients who had undergone the Botox treatment revealed that the paralyzing effect of the Botox on her facial muscles enabled her to lightheartedly approach every problems she comes to face, making her feel less happy and unaffected with those people who surround her.

With smiling alone believed to improve happiness and reduce social anxiety, it could be that Botox also helps by numbing the muscles in the brows that create expressions of sadness, anger and fear. But making your outside expression seem joyful doesn’t really reflect what you feel deep inside. After a while the effects of the drugs subside and let you go back to your old self, as the paralyzing effect of the drugs on your face began to wear off and you start to feel the other half of your face.

Depression is a mixture of sad feelings that you feel inside you. Botox may help you cover up for your real emotions but it doesn’t erase those depressive feelings. That feeling of worthlessness will still remain and after four months when the Botox effect has all gone you are back to your old depressed self again. There is no short cut in treating depression.

Instead, deal with your depressing realistically; acknowledge the things that are failing you. Make a daily schedule of what you want to accomplish for the entire day. Exercise and eat healthily as regular exercise seems to encourage the brain to re focused in a more positive way, which also helps to reduce social anxiety .

Take responsibility and challenge those negative thoughts in your head. Depression is a mental state, if you can devise a way to shift your negative thoughts into something positive and life enriching  then there you can achieve a happy and fulfilling life ahead of you.

 

 

Originally posted 2014-07-17 11:03:29. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Can Botox Treat Social Anxiety and Depression? Or is it Just a Temporary Fix? is a post from: Social Anxiety Disorder Self Help Strategies. Overcome Social Phobia For Good

from Social Anxiety Disorder Self Help Strategies. Overcome Social Phobia For Good http://ift.tt/1mPyGRJ
via IFTTT

Overcoming Social Anxiety Strategies – 4 Steps to Get What You Want from Life

Do you dream of what you want from life? Whether it’s fame, prosperity, good health or better relationships, everyone has their dreams and aspirations. However, when you suffer from social anxiety disorder, it can feel as though your dreams have to take a backseat, albeit a temporary one. But pursuing your dreams and ambitions is a great way of aiding your recovery. It gives you a sense of purpose and a goal driven strategy that can raise your self esteem and help you overcome your social anxiety in the long run.

So to help banish those negative thoughts, here are four tips for getting what you want from life, no matter what anyone else says:

1. You are most likely to achieve the things you think about most of the time

Your thoughts are powerful tools in achieving your goals. The more you think about achieving them the more it will happen. So if you are always thinking of having a car, visualize every detail can make your conscious mind hook on to those desires. Learn how to attract what you want and you can be able to surpass every challenge, obstacle and issue that gets in your way.

2. What you concentrate on grows

Choose whatever your mind focuses on. You cannot choose the events that happen in your life but you can choose how to react to them (easier said than I done, I know). Whether you react positively or negatively it is the only thing that you can do to change the impact of the situation at hand. Manage your thoughts and cleanse your thinking. Just like what self help coach Robin Sharma says, “What you focus on grows, what you think about expands and what you dwell on determines your destiny”

3. Focus on something and you will become like it

What your mind focuses on is what you will eventually become. So when you dwell on the negative, and the things other people say or think, you will also have a negative outlook in life. If you dwell on the positive, however, you will also be positive. Your attitude towards life is what defines your destiny and can light the path towards overcoming social anxiety disorder.

4. You will have what you concentrate on

Focus only on things that can have a positive impact on your life. Sometimes when we concentrate on something and couple it with emotional desire, our mind automatically will do everything possible to put it into action. So be careful on what we dwell on our mind, choose the things that could only give you positive result.

As Oprah Winfrey said, “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never ever have enough.”

But that doesn’t mean you should settle for feeling alone or afraid. Try and adopt these four positive mindsets into your arsenal and it will help you overcome social anxiety for good.

Originally posted 2014-11-11 15:11:05. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Overcoming Social Anxiety Strategies – 4 Steps to Get What You Want from Life is a post from: Social Anxiety Disorder Self Help Strategies. Overcome Social Phobia For Good

from Social Anxiety Disorder Self Help Strategies. Overcome Social Phobia For Good http://ift.tt/1EoVyfB
via IFTTT