Social anxiety is more common than many may think, especially in teens. Feeling anxious is a natural emotion, but when it hinders you from being in social situations or affects work or school, it may require treatment by a behavioral health professional. Many therapeutic modalities can be employed to calm one’s anxiety. Treating social anxiety at a professional mental and behavioral health treatment center allows a customized treatment experience and provides tips to calm social anxiety.
Call Imagine Omaha today at 888.306.2681 to learn more about our anxiety program for teens and adolescents aged 12 to 18.
What Does Social Anxiety Look Like?
Feelings of worry, dread, or fear characterize anxiety. These feelings of uneasiness cause panic-like attacks. Social anxiety, in particular, causes a person to feel extremely uncomfortable and self-conscious in common social situations. Because of this, people will resort to avoiding these situations altogether and becoming somewhat reclusive. People who suffer from social anxiety fear being judged by others, and the anxiety of social interactions can negatively affect work, school, and relationships.
Learning how to calm one’s social anxiety is the best thing they can do to live a healthier, more productive life. Having social anxiety tips for practical use in everyday life allows those suffering from anxiety to be able to be more comfortable in common social situations. Working with therapeutic professionals, one can be open about their fears and worries and learn the skills to effectively interact with others in situations, even if it’s uncomfortable.
5 Tips to Calm Social Anxiety
Some of the best activities to help calm anxiety can be things that you already enjoy doing.
A behavioral therapist can help you work through the specific triggers of your social anxiety and then employ tips and activities that are best suited to combat the anxiety.
Some tips to help calm social anxiety include:
- Meditation – Practicing mindfulness and living in the moment rather than dwelling on and overthinking the situation has proven to greatly reduce anxiety. Fostering the mind-body connection can lead to greater peace and calm in life.
- Working with your hands – Occupying yourself with any activity distracts the mind from things that can overwhelm you. Get outside and garden, work on a craft project, paint or draw something, or channel your inner weekend warrior with a home project.
- Writing – Journaling or keeping a diary is an excellent form of expression that serves as a therapeutic outlet. Sharing your feelings in this way can help you recognize patterns and put coping mechanisms into place.
- Adopting a pet – Adopting a pet or interacting with a therapy animal can quickly reduce stress and anxiety through engagement. More interaction equals greater anxiety relief.
- Giving back – Helping others through volunteerism can actually serve you as well. Giving back to others makes you feel good about your actions and helping others. Having a positive effect on others creates a positive impact on you.
As each person’s anxiety experience is different, the things that help calm them will also be different. Honing in on the right things that work for you is all part of the treatment journey.
Reach Out to Imagine Omaha for Tips to Calm Social Anxiety
Even though social anxiety is common, it can be overwhelming. Anxiety can take over your life if not managed properly. An anxiety treatment program at a mental and behavioral health center can give teens the much-needed tools and tips to reclaim control over their lives and better manage anxiety in the future. Anxiety commonly accompanies substance use disorder, and treatment centers, such as Imagine Omaha, actively treat both conditions with a dual diagnosis approach.
Call 888.306.2681 today to speak with a treatment professional, or contact us online to learn more about our programs and services.
