For many of us, COVID has inevitably been a time of stress, anxiety, and social isolation. Social anxiety is extremely pervasive within college students, as this time often requires reaching out to our peers in the name of collaboration as well as mental and emotional wellbeing. As someone who has first-handedly had experience with social anxiety and is currently working on navigating through the challenges, I’ve gathered some tips that may be helpful for others.
Self-reflect
Today I saw a video in which a girl mentioned that social anxiety often stems from the preconception that everyone has their full attention on you, the individual, at all times. For many, the attention may be focused on specific aspects that relate to personal insecurities or judgements. In a public setting, our brains tend to be easily alerted by anything occupying our minds; it’s logical that often what we focus on within ourselves is also what we notice about others and consequently, feel that they are noticing about us.
While this is by no means going to wipe away your social anxiety, realize that 1) we have no way to know what others are thinking, and 2) even if we did, there’s really nothing we can do about it. Instead of feeling helpless and spiraling into a cycle of fear, acknowledge this and actively turn your attention towards clearing those thoughts out of your head.
Confidence
We mentioned how social anxiety has a lot to do with self-perception earlier on. A key strategy is to work on your self-confidence so we can diminish the fear of being perceived by others. Furthermore, a solid belief in oneself can go a long way in overcoming negativity, whether it’s from yourself or those around you.
This is where many “self-care” techniques come into play; popular methods such as journaling, meditation, and spending time on hobbies and mastering personal skills all contribute to one’s familiarity and acceptance of themself. You don’t have to love every part of it, and it won’t always be easy, but taking these steps will help solidify your sense of “belonging” to yourself.
Fake it ‘Till You Make it
Ultimately, there is no simple answer to making social anxiety disappear once and for all. It’s constantly fluid, coming and going depending on our surroundings and circumstances, but the biggest step is acknowledging your thoughts and fears. Address your inner feelings and set out a game plan to heal the parts that need some help.
Even though it may be tough at times, there’s no denying the importance and power of pushing your limits when it comes to self-growth and overcoming challenges.
We hope you enjoyed this article. For more content on how to find your academic success, check out some of our articles here on StarryScholar. If you have any questions/comments, feel free to leave them in our “Community Discussion” tab, or email us at @[email protected]! Remember, you got this ☆