When Social Anxiety Strikes
Tuesday, August 23, 2016 / 9:03 PMWhich is what the video is about: social anxiety. This time around, I don't really have a rundown of "surefire tips" like I did on networking as an introvert, but I do have some bits of advice that I've gotten from other people over the years...
1. BREATHE! It might seem like an obvious tip, but when you feel your heart racing and your face getting red, just tell yourself, "Inhale...exhale...inhale...exhale..." and get your breathing back to a normal pace. You'll feel much more relaxed, trust me.
2. Don't forget to drink water! I'm not someone who necessarily gets calmer by drinking alcohol, so particularly at a networking/work function, it's better to stick to something that won't make me more jittery (avoid coffee too!). Plus, keeping yourself hydrated is healthy and keeps headaches away.
3. Control your imagination! Whenever I walk into an unfamiliar setting, I tend to make predictions beforehand about what might happen: who might I meet? What could go wrong? And then I get all worked up before the event/party/conference/etc. happens. Don't do that: if you walk into anything fearing the worst, you'll have a terrible time.
And lastly, here's a link to the AWARE method I mention in the video – probably not the most scientific thing...but it's worked for me before: http://www.uncommonhelp.me/articles/overcome-fear-and-anxiety/
And lastly, here's a link to the AWARE method I mention in the video – probably not the most scientific thing...but it's worked for me before: http://www.uncommonhelp.me/articles/overcome-fear-and-anxiety/
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