Breathing Exercises
As physical symptoms are more visible than psychological symptoms of anxiety, those are usually easier to rectify. The most prominent physical symptom is âdifficulty in breathing.â When anxious, individuals feel short of breath and feel like they are not able to breathe normally. Deep breathing exercises that can be practiced at home can help ease shortness in breathing.
Taking âBaby Stepsâ
âBaby stepsâ is an important effective self-practice compared to other methods; in fact it means that the fear cannot be changed at one go. Exposure therapy is a fearful idea for at least a few. Therefore, awareness regarding the therapy is very important.
This method follows a gradual exposure of the person to the social condition that he fears of and reducing the effects. Exposure steps slowly move forward by making the person learn to relax and cope with situations.
Looking at Surroundings
People who are socially anxious normally focus inward. Studies show that such people who tend to rate themselves as shy when in social situations cannot recall much details of the external surroundings. This is because; they might be concentrating on themselves only and not the surroundings. In order to lower their anxiety, they need to focus more on external things. Making note on three aspects when in social situations can divert one from thinking about oneself. For example:
The color of the wall
The picture on the wall, if any
Appearances of other people around.
This, even though strange, can helps to focus away from the self.
Next Steps
consult Psychiatrist/ Psychologist