Social anxiety disorder which is commonly termed social phobia can be very challenging for a lot of people. Getting nervous in certain social situations is also quite common for quite a lot of people.
Some of the most common situations people usually face are while speaking at a public function or maybe in front of the entire class. Even a first date can make you face such a situation.
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While speaking at such an event you may feel like losing your breath or get nervous and shaky all over the body.
If you feel these regularly, then you need to seek professional assistance to deal with the anxiety.
Here are some ways to deal with the anxiety:
Control Your Breathing
You may feel breathless sometimes when you are hit with anxiety or if you are highly nervous. During such instances, ensure to sit down and comfort yourself. Remember to keep your back straight during this. Keep your body relaxed and start breathing slowly.
Breathe in slowly through your nose for 4 seconds and keep one hand on your belly and the other on the chest.
While breathing let the hand on your belly rise keeping the hand on the chest still.
Hold your breath in for 2 seconds and then slowly let it out through your mouth for 6 seconds.
You will have to repeat this till you feel relaxed.
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Prepare yourself in advance
If you know that you are supposed to face any such situation, make sure you prepare yourself in advance. Keep the above breathing exercise in mind and practice it at the venue before facing the situation.
Prepare some plan on how you address the event. While on it, try to be focused on the person with you rather than the feeling of you being nervous.
Start from smaller events
If you have trouble facing a larger crowd or even a classroom, try dealing with such situations with a small group of friends or family members.
Take the Focus Off Yourself
While addressing people in a large number, keep your focus on them or the topic you are discussing. Keep the thought of you being nervous out of your mind.
Keep your focus on the topic as to what you’ll say next or what the audience will say. Prepare your mind to deal with that. In the beginning, this might not feel much but eventually, things will work out.