boogie-woogie
15-01-08, 20:12
Heres a technique for social anxiety i found real helpful, just thought id share it with you.
Find somewhere quiet to sit and relax, take a few deep breaths and relax your mind. Once your in a relaxed state you can move to the next stage.
Now try to visualize a certain situation, could be from the past or even something ahead. If your visualizing the past try to remember how you felt at that time and remember all the details of the situation, like the colour of the room or what you were wearing etc. Importantly try to remember your emotions. The same applies to the future situation, try to imagine who will be there, where you will be and how you will act and how you will socialize. With both it is important to imagine all details, it may be hard at first but with practise it will get easier.
Now visualize being and feeling confident, relaxed and comfortable in the situations. Remember all the details and how the others around you are behaving, imagine the situation how you would ideally like it go. Remember you must actually visualize yourself feeling how you want to feel, think that you are confident and relaxed try not to think you would like to be confident and relaxed but you actually are confident and relaxed. It can be difficult to visualize being confident when you may not know how it feels, so try acting like someone you know who is more confident and relaxed. Or better still try being yourself.
This exercise should be practised for about 15 - 20 mins. Some people find it better to do this exercise before going to bed or before getting out of bed, as the subconscious mind is more open to ideas.
Remember with this technique its important to visualize yourself being how you want to feel rather than thinking what it would be like to feel relaxed and confident.
Find somewhere quiet to sit and relax, take a few deep breaths and relax your mind. Once your in a relaxed state you can move to the next stage.
Now try to visualize a certain situation, could be from the past or even something ahead. If your visualizing the past try to remember how you felt at that time and remember all the details of the situation, like the colour of the room or what you were wearing etc. Importantly try to remember your emotions. The same applies to the future situation, try to imagine who will be there, where you will be and how you will act and how you will socialize. With both it is important to imagine all details, it may be hard at first but with practise it will get easier.
Now visualize being and feeling confident, relaxed and comfortable in the situations. Remember all the details and how the others around you are behaving, imagine the situation how you would ideally like it go. Remember you must actually visualize yourself feeling how you want to feel, think that you are confident and relaxed try not to think you would like to be confident and relaxed but you actually are confident and relaxed. It can be difficult to visualize being confident when you may not know how it feels, so try acting like someone you know who is more confident and relaxed. Or better still try being yourself.
This exercise should be practised for about 15 - 20 mins. Some people find it better to do this exercise before going to bed or before getting out of bed, as the subconscious mind is more open to ideas.
Remember with this technique its important to visualize yourself being how you want to feel rather than thinking what it would be like to feel relaxed and confident.