SOCIAL ANXIETY EXPERTS PSYCHOLOGISTS FOR LAST-MINUTE FEATURE

If you find yourself having a panic attack whilst out the first thing you should do is stop what you’re doing and try to focus on regaining control of your breathe. Take a deep breathe in and hold it to the count of 3, then slowly release your breathe to the count of 5. Repeat this several times until you feel your breathing returning to a more steady pace.

Another tip is to use the find 5 method. Name 5 things in the room that you can see, name 4 things that you can feel, name 3 things that you can smell, name 2 things that you can hear and name 1 thing that you can taste. The aim is to distract your brain form the fact it’s trying to have a panic attack and focus your attention on something else. You cannot and will not have a panic attack if you don’t focus your energy on it.

Find a breathing exercise that works for you. When we get nervous or anxious our breathing often becomes rapid and irregular. This can cause us to feel dizzy and light-headed which can then lead to panic. Our breathing often changes without us noticing it so you need to become aware of your breath and what it’s doing.

If you notice your breathing pattern changing focus on calming it down. Take a deep breath in hold it for 3 seconds then slowly release it to the count of 5. Repeat this as many times as you need to until your breathing returns to a normal pace.

If you’re feeling completely overwhelmed in a social situation excuse yourself for a bit and either go to the toilet or outside. Once there complete your breathing exercise until you feel better.

Mediation is great for helping with social anxiety. Start to incorporate meditation into your daily routine. Before you go to an event put some time aside to meditate before you go. This gets you in a nice calm frame of mind before you go. There are lots of great free meditation videos online. Find one you like and practice it as often as you can.

Physical activity is great for anxiety. Find a sport or activity that you love doing and do it as often as you can. It can be something as simple as going for a walk in nature or something more intense like kick boxing. Yoga is particularly good for people with anxiety as it incorporates breathing techniques.

Prepare for the event. A lot of people’s social anxiety comes from the unknown. If you’re nervous about the event then do some research before you go. Look up the venue, where to park, how to get there etc. This can help to ease your anxiety before you go. If you’re travelling to a new town or city look it up on Google maps. You can even use street maps and walk down the street so things will seem familiar when you’re actually there.

If you’re really struggling with social anxiety then I’d advise contacting a health professional who will be able to help you through it.