Column: Tipful Tuesday
Imagine this. Your friend invites you to a party, and you agree to go with her. You get there, but there are so many people there that all you want to do is disappear. You don’t know anyone else besides your friend, and she has already taken you to meet some new people that are at the party. You want to stay to yourself and think all eyes are on you, so you run away and try to hide. Social anxiety sucks! Am I right or am I right?
Although you might have social anxiety, believe it or not, there are ways to overcome this. Most of the time social anxiety is all in your mind. You think everyone is paying attention to you, no matter how many other people are there, when in all actuality, no one even cares that you’re there. Humans, no matter how nice they are, are always paying attention to themselves and are probably thinking “what if they are staring at me?” They have the same thoughts you do, so just try to keep this in mind when you’re out and about in social situations.
You might also get nervous when talking to other people and become awkward. When talking to others just remember to be yourself, and if they can’t appreciate you for you, then they’ve most definitely lost out on a great friend. Just try not to overthink, and you’ll be ok. No matter how weird you may think people see you as, just forget about them, and do your own thing. As long as you don’t worry about others’ opinions, you’ll be good. I know it takes time and it’s hard, but keep that mentality and, eventually, you’ll get over your social anxiety. I’m rooting for you.