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What Causes Social Anxiety? Answers + Solutions Inside

What Causes Social Anxiety? Answers + Solutions Inside

Imagine feeling confident in any crowd. It's possible! Strategies inside.

Sol TV
March 14, 2024

This Newsletter at a Glance

🤔 What Is Social Anxiety?

🧠 TL/DR: What Causes Social Anxiety?

💡 Sol Bites: 4 Ways to Overcome Social Anxiety

🎉 Bonus: Say Goodbye to Social Anxiety: 3 Ways to Win

🎥 Video Bite: Katy Morin on Strategies to Overcome People Pleasing

💭 Words of Wisdom

Social anxiety is something a lot of people talk about, but do you know what it’s really all about? For one thing, it isn't just feeling nervous or awkward sometimes—we all worry about how we're coming across to others. Social anxiety is next-level fear that never seems to go away and affects everything you do.

It shows up in many different ways.

One symptom is constantly stressing about what other people think about you. You may also always worry about being judged, criticized, or embarrassed in front of others. If you can’t stop second-guessing yourself and feel super self-conscious—especially around strangers—that’s also a sign of social anxiety. The same goes for overthinking social situations and repeatedly replaying them in your head.

Many people get hung up on the root of their social anxiety, but that won’t do much to help you overcome it now. What matters today is what you’re doing that is feeding the anxiety and keeping it around—or making it worse

Common behaviors that fuel social anxiety are chronic worry, avoidance, using substances to cope, seeking reassurance from others, negative self-talk, trying to be perfect, not setting boundaries, and not speaking your mind.

Those coping mechanisms might make you feel better in the moment, but they also have a long-term effect: making anxiety stronger. It's a cycle that gets worse over time.

For example, if you avoid new work assignments because you're scared of failing, you’re essentially teaching your brain that new things are scary. As more new work comes your way, you’ll become more anxious—and even more tempted to avoid it altogether.

So, if you want to kick social anxiety to the curb, you have to be willing to deal with short-term discomfort to get long-term relief. It's going to be work, but it's totally doable.

Bonus: Say Goodbye to Social Anxiety: 3 Ways to Win

Ditch the jitters and say hello to self-assured conversations! Learn 3 powerful strategies that helped me boost my confidence by 75% and finally feel comfortable in social situations.

To overcome social anxiety, first, you must believe you can crush your fears and own the social scene. I've been there—I used to have an especially hard time speaking in front of a crowd—and here are some tips that I know can help:

Start small and slow.

This isn’t a jumping into the deep end of the pool kind of thing. What you need to do is ease yourself into social situations that make you nervous. Start small and work your way up. You’ll feel more legit and confident each time you face your fears. For example, I used to freeze up in group conversations. To get over it, I started by sharing my thoughts with a couple of friends, then worked my way up to bigger groups.

Ditch the negative vibes.

Call out and shut down any negative thoughts that amp up your anxiety. If you start fixating on a worst-case scenario, question those thoughts and replace them with more positive images.

Stay in the moment.

Instead of stressing about what people may be thinking about you, focus on what is actually happening. Engage in the conversation, listen, and ask questions. Being in the now helps ease self-consciousness and lets you make real connections. Active listening and being present always helps me chill out and feel more engaged.

Pump yourself up.

Before and during social situations, get hyped with positive self-talk. Remind yourself of your strengths, good vibes, and past wins. Repeat affirmations like, "I enjoy connecting with others." For me, saying, "I have great ideas to share" or "I deserve to be heard" boosts my confidence and changes my mindset. Just remember, conquering social anxiety takes time and persistence. Keep at it, and you'll slay the game.

Video Bite

"Yes" to authenticity, "No" to people-pleasing! Join Sol TV Creator, Katy Morin, for strategies to set boundaries, develop assertiveness, and embrace who you are. Ready to break free?

Words of Wisdom

❝

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do.

Eleanor Roosevelt

Along the Same Lines…

Say Goodbye to Social Anxiety: 3 Ways to Win