how can I deal with my social anxieties?

hi there!

Before I begin with some coping methods of social anxiety I would just like to commend you for stepping up and asking. It is a brave thing to do and I’m extremely proud of you. Secondly, it is nothing to be ashamed of, all teenagers have a different set of challenges that they face when growing up.

Breathing exercises are super helpful. By learning to slow down your breathing rate when you are anxious, you can settle down other anxious sensations, as well as focusing your mind. You can either do this by yourself or an app on your phone. One handy breathy exercise that I personally use whenever I get nervous is to use the tracing method. With your index finger, trace your other hand slowly from your thumb to your pinky. When tracing upwards inhale, once you reach to the top of each finger, hold your breath for a few seconds. Then trace downwards and exhale slowly. Repeating this on each hand even a couple of times has really helped me slow my breathing and my heart rate to focus my mind. Using ‘calm’ has also assisted with breathing exercises.

Another method is to write down these negative thoughts and reflect on them. Write these negative thoughts on a piece of paper, then write down a positive thought that challenges that negative thought.

~ Negative thought

“This situation makes me so anxious, I won’t be able to deal with it.”

~ Challenge

“I’ve felt anxious before but I’ve always gotten through it. I’ll do my best to focus on the positive parts of the experience.”

Hope these help :) if you ever feel too overwhelmed please talk to a trusted adult or friend. We also have our school guidance counsellor who is here to help.

♡