How To Communicate Your Needs When You Have Social Anxiety

“The truth is that we all experience some degree of social anxiety from time to time, but most of us learn how to cope with it in our day-to-day lives. Unfortunately for people with severe social phobia, communicating their needs is nearly impossible without extreme discomfort or fear that they’ll say or do something embarrassing or inappropriate.

So, what steps can you take to establish healthy communication in your life? What can you do to start speaking up when it counts the most? Overcoming social anxiety is a process, but it starts with a few key points that will allow you to start communicating your needs.

Express Your Needs Appropriately In Social Situations — Seek Help When Needed

If you find yourself at a loss as to how to detect honest need from a genuine offer, here’s a simple test: if somebody offers help and they seem sincere, accept it! From there, offer your appreciation when they’ve helped you out. Even if you’re not getting enough assistance, be honest: politely let them know that they’ve been helpful — and seek other people to help out.

Practice Assertive Communication — Be Clear And Concise

Be clear and concise when you have something important to say. You can start practicing by sharing your thoughts with a trusted friend or family member rather than directing them to people less likely to understand. Then, when you do have to find the words for what you need to say, pause and collect your thoughts — rather than quickly blurting out something that you’ll later regret.

Build Your Self-Esteem — Accept Yourself As You Are

No matter how much we’d like to think otherwise, our actions are often influenced by our opinions of ourselves. If we believe that we’re worthless or lacking in one way or another, there’s no chance that we’ll improve our communication skills. This is why it’s so important for people with social anxiety to learn how to accept themselves as they are — no matter what their flaws may be.

Avoid Negative Self-Talk — Focus on Your Strengths

One of the most common ways that people with social anxiety sabotage their communication attempts is by giving into negative self-talk when they’re in the middle of a conversation with someone new. The way around this destructive cycle begins with taking a step back and focusing on your strengths and what you have to offer people as a whole. You don’t need to be the most brilliant person in the room or be the best at making conversation for someone to like you — you just need to be yourself!"

Read the full complete article on Medium

✨Takeaway: It can be challenging to manage social anxiety, but with patience and perseverance, you will gradually start to realize your full potential. Open conversation will help you get to know yourself better, identify your wants and needs, and eventually start to face your concerns.

✨Reflection: If you have social anxiety, can you share what helps you communicate better?

#Anxiety #Communication #SocialAnxiety #MentalHealth