Do you always feel scared to talk to anyone in public? Do you always feel like people are judging you no matter how good you look? Then chances are that you are most probably suffering from social anxiety. 

What is social anxiety? 

Social anxiety is the constant fear of getting judged and criticized by other people. This is a mental disorder and is currently the third-largest mental disorder in America. Social anxiety makes everyday interactions very difficult for a person resulting in anxiety, self-consciousness, and feeling embarrassed as if the whole world around you hates you. 

People with social anxiety find it extremely difficult to interact with friends and almost everyone. This fear of getting judged can result in major communication gaps and affect relationships, work, school, and university. 

What are the symptoms of social anxiety? 

Social anxiety is very different from nervousness. E.g. going on a date can cause nervousness and butterflies, but social anxiety is when you are nervous even in the lightest situations. Although some people are naturally shy and not so outgoing. Social anxiety is nervousness, anxiety, and a tendency to avoid interaction with other people. 

Here are the symptoms by which you can identify whether you have social anxiety or not: 

• Fear of getting judged negatively 
• The constant worry of getting humiliated 
• Negative thoughts of getting embarrassed 
• Extreme levels of fear when talking to strangers
• Fear that others will find you anxious 
• Fear that sweating and blushing will be noticed by others
• Avoiding that you will be the center of attention
• Having a shaky voice when talking to strangers 
• Feeling dead from inside when something silly happens 
• Avoid activities like public speaking 
• Getting constant negative thoughts in public places e.g. you are walking on a road but constantly thinking that you will trip and fall and everyone will laugh at you. 

Some of the physical symptoms of social anxiety are as follows: 

• Redness on face 
• Sweating 
• Shaky voice 
• Nausea 
• Upset stomach 
• Dizziness 
• Muscle tension 
• Not able to breathe properly 

People with social anxiety often: 

• Avoid talking to strangers and found mostly with earphones in public places
• Find it hard to place orders at shops 
• Talk the least at school or work 
• Avoid making eye contact 
• Never start conversations 
• Have a problem eating in public all alone 
• Difficulty in using public restroom thinking that people will judge 

Effects on social anxiety 

If this disorder persists for a long period then it can result in low-self esteem and confidence. You maybe be troubled in putting your point to others and face difficulty in making eye contact with others. Another effect one may face is hypersensitivity to even the slightest negative comment. Social anxiety makes you feel like you are not good enough. To cope with this, people start substance abuse such as taking drugs and alcohol. In severe cases, one might do suicide attempts.  

If social anxiety persists for a long period then it can result in major depressive disorders and substance abuse. 

How to manage social anxiety? 

Living with social anxiety is pretty difficult as your thoughts tend to disturb you. You can cope with social anxiety with some self-help activities like: 

• Focus on yourself only. Tell yourself that what others think doesn’t matter. 
• Avoid negative stress coping ways like substance abuse 
• Don’t hide from your fears, instead face them 
• Reframe your thoughts. Start by replacing negative thoughts with positive ones. 
• Engage in mindfulness. Do any activity that makes you happy. 
• Do something nice for someone else. Research shows that it can lower anxiety levels. 
• Learn to control your breathing. Take deep breaths so that oxygen in the body increases.
• Work on your communication skills. Start small and take baby steps. 
• Take social communication class to learn about ways to communicate in a better way
• Volunteer in any activity that you like 
• Try to boost your self-esteem and keep a positive body language 
• Try to act confident, even when it’s difficult. 
• Make some friends by breaking that barrier and putting negative thoughts behind 
• Be part of social anxiety groups where you can meet people dealing with the same issue 
• Contact a psychologist if these tips don’t work even 1% 
• Get medical help in the worst scenario

Final note: 

Social anxiety is a common mental disorder. It can result in low-self esteem and confidence. People with social anxiety keep getting thoughts that everyone is criticizing and judging them. With social anxiety, it is tense to do everyday tasks like placing orders at restaurants, hesitation in starting a conversation, difficulty in making eye contact with people, failing to start a conversation with strangers, and so on. self-care can help in managing social anxiety. In worst cases, medication should be taken after contacting the doctor. Inventory management importance cannot be stressed enough. It enables the manufacturer to give a better service to customers, get more cash flow and make more profits.