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  #1  
Old 29th May 2010, 11:40
TheOneWhoKnocks TheOneWhoKnocks is offline
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Default 101 ways to beat social anxiety

There is plenty of information on SAUK on what hasn't helped people, but there doesn't seem to be a lot on what has helped everyone to get over SA.

I thought it would be a good Idea to have a big list of everything that has helped anyone, all in one place.

so post anything that has helped you with SA. Even if its just a tiny little thing, you never know, it could help someone else.

Post away


*aaargh, i spent ages typing out a big long post and it all dissapered I'll type it up again later*
  #2  
Old 29th May 2010, 13:32
xyz xyz is offline
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Default Re: 101 ways to beat social anxiety

Good idea.

I can't add much, I'm afraid. But lately two things have helped me. Firstly, focusing on my breathing, slowing it right down (as much as possible) and inhaling more deeply has really helped in certain situations such as being in shops and in queues. I still feel the anxiety, but it is noticeably reduced and easier to cope with, I find.

Another thing has been Kalms tablets. Now I know that many people don't think much of them, but I gave them a try without expecting anything at all considering what I had read from others on here. I'm really not sure if it's a placebo effect or something more, but I have found that I feel a certain amount of helpful relaxation when out and about after having taken them. Not by any stretch of the imagination is it a miracle cure! But I have personally found it useful so far and my SA is anything but mild.

Looking forward to reading more replies to this thread.
  #3  
Old 29th May 2010, 17:10
ratty ratty is offline
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Default Re: 101 ways to beat social anxiety

Being more assertive, or at least learning more about assertiveness, through a work training course I once did (I'm sure you can find similar courses run publically too)
  #4  
Old 29th May 2010, 21:52
Golz Golz is offline
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Default Re: 101 ways to beat social anxiety

Being positive, easier said than done and has taken me a lot of time and effort to get like that. But if u can always look at things the best way you can it will make the good things better and the bad things not as bad.

Also try to like yourself for who you are and not what you're not, relates a bit to positivity above. But it can make you feel more confident about yourself if you can actually like the way you look, how are you, what you wear, etc. Then you won't worry about it and easier to make the others involved look at you in a similar way
  #5  
Old 29th May 2010, 22:20
luke luke is offline
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Default Re: 101 ways to beat social anxiety

dont compare yourself to others

say yes more like when being asked out, ive gotten into the habbit of instinctivley saying no to evreything
  #6  
Old 30th May 2010, 18:13
PositivePoemsbyme PositivePoemsbyme is offline
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Default Re: 101 ways to beat social anxiety

lets see.. Lorasapam helps me when my anxiety gets way too out of hand. I took some yesterday and felt like I needed it for 3 to 5 days so I felt really good after I take it. That is my last resort to do if anxiety gets really bad that nothing else is working.

First thing that helps me feel better is deep breathing if that doesnt work then I try to do meditation with deep breathing.. this at least reduces my anxiety

I also try to stay positive whenever I can...

Just recently I have tried to get exercise, sunshine, fresh air and listen to upbeat music like hip hop or pop. To help me get in a better mood. sunshine and the music I try to do this to help my depression.. I havent noticed much of a difference but maybe a little bit.

I also have tried to push past my comfort zone a little bit and try to get over anxiety. I have tried going to drive in with my boyfriend that didnt go so well but I did try jogging yesterday and I felt so proud of myself that I thought in my head saying that I am amazing and I believed it.!

I finding setting goals each day helps me to think less and do more

I also feel like yoga relaxes me and eating healthy helps too

getting a massage done really relaxes me alot
  #7  
Old 13th June 2010, 09:21
Zephyr Zephyr is offline
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Default Re: 101 ways to beat social anxiety

For me things that have helped include hardly ever drinking alcohol. From the age of 18-21 i use to go out at the weekend to get drunk. I decided to stop that and in the last 4 years it has been rare for me to have even one drink. Also, exercise in some form helps and finally having something to really look forward to seems to reduce my anxiety to a degree.
  #8  
Old 13th June 2010, 13:38
hgraham hgraham is offline
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Default Re: 101 ways to beat social anxiety

exercising and eating more healthily and doing my best to get as much sleep as I feel I need. Sort of like marshalling the troops to do battle against SA. Any army needs to be fit to be most effective.

Also, realizing just how intensely and how often I am in the "fight or flight" mode due to a more or less constant level of SA, and doing the things to get myself out of that mode - relaxation techniques, reminding myself just exactly what is the cause of feeling a certain way (fear), and breathing. Then, doing little things that have always inspired fear for me - ordering drinks at a bar, taking the train, etc. Slow talk, which is part of the SA Institute programme.
  #9  
Old 13th June 2010, 13:45
Lord Lucan Lord Lucan is offline
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Default Re: 101 ways to beat social anxiety

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zephyr
For me things that have helped include hardly ever drinking alcohol. From the age of 18-21 i use to go out at the weekend to get drunk. I decided to stop that and in the last 4 years it has been rare for me to have even one drink.
This is probably good advice. I've always used alcohol to hide my SA which has in the end up made things worse for myself.
  #10  
Old 18th June 2010, 20:35
dlm026 dlm026 is offline
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Default Re: 101 ways to beat social anxiety

Deep breathing has really helped me too. I think it's amazing what 5 minutes of deep breathing can do to help you feel more calm and at ease.

Not long ago when I was at work the database crashed and I couldn't work for an hour and I spent that hour standing just deep breathing and I felt so good afterwards - calm and focussed and completely at ease. The feeling doesn't last when breathing goes back to normal, but it shows how powerful a tool the breath can be. A great book I still use is 'breath the essence of yoga' by Sandra Sabatini.
  #11  
Old 19th July 2010, 23:20
Mr. Nobody Mr. Nobody is offline
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Default Re: 101 ways to beat social anxiety

Excercising
getting outdoors
making myself go out to concerts / gigs
eating less
eating healthy
going to some SA UK meets
trying to be considerate / attentive / sympathetic to other people
trying cathartic therapy / meditation techniques
having some aims & goals ( no matter how small )
allowing myself to have my own voice and not cowing to others
buying new, smarter clothes ( dunno',...it's helped somehow )
learning to enjoy being myself and the freedom that brings

p.s. I'm not saying I can do all these,..but at various times these have definately helped me.
  #12  
Old 21st July 2010, 16:04
Mr_Bean Mr_Bean is offline
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Default Re: 101 ways to beat social anxiety

Don't beat yourself up all the time.
  #13  
Old 22nd July 2010, 12:57
hardy hardy is offline
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Default Re: 101 ways to beat social anxiety

Quote:
Originally Posted by AoS
Don't beat yourself up all the time.
I think that should be number 1 of the 101. It might seem a good idea like smacking a child who doesn't behave . But we know thats not a very good idea for kids and espesially bad for SA because youre not inferior or weak so you dont have any "faults" to correct.
There is a paradox that although escape from SA depends on changing your behaviour it needs a change in how you view the world leading to that change . You can't learn the behaviour like learning to drive etc.
  #14  
Old 23rd July 2010, 09:21
IRIS IRIS is offline
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Default Re: 101 ways to beat social anxiety

Trying not to blame other people for rejecting me when my heart had not been open to them. I used to moan that 'oh such-a-body never talks to me' until I realised i had never talked to them either.
  #15  
Old 2nd August 2010, 22:40
Median Median is offline
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Default Re: 101 ways to beat social anxiety

1. Exercise. A common one I have noticed but quite hard to do when you have such little motivation.

2. Put something out there for friends that might have drifted apart to contact you with - Could be through the internet just sayin oh anyone know ...... or something even if its something you could google and get the answer.
Or in my case it really paid off when I needed help, I felt really cheeky like I only contacted people when I need help but I put it out there to my mates i hadnt seen in a long while and it brought us together.
  #16  
Old 23rd August 2010, 01:10
PoppaBear PoppaBear is offline
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Post Re: 101 ways to beat social anxiety

- I found exercise (running) for me was very helpful.
- Pumpkin seeds (for a male) also seemed to help.
- Prescribed medication used sparingly when necessary is also helpful.
- Self-acceptance and looking for the positives wherever I can.
- Use techniques to help. Sounds bizarre but assume the worst day ever when you're anxious about something, and it's never that bad.
- Vitamin B stress tablets are helpful.
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