Did you know that approximately 15 million adults in the U.S suffer from social anxiety? These feelings of being overwhelmed, self-conscious, and out-of-depth are frighteningly common. You’re not alone.
Whether you’re plagued by insecurities, experience overwhelming panic attacks, or simply want to stop feeling self-conscious, there are ways.
Here are three important strategies for overcoming these feelings.
1. Practice Mindfulness Meditation
Incorporating mindfulness tips into your life is a great way to combat feeling overwhelmed and self-conscious. Mindfulness is the process of being completely present in a certain moment. You focus your awareness of what you’re feeling and what you’re sensing around you — without interpretation or judgment.
This practice really helps to relax the mind and reduce anxiety and stress. Most importantly, it offers an objective perspective that reduces your self-focus. When you reduce self-focus and take the spotlight off of yourself, it reduces the feeling of others watching and judging you.
Start by carving out some time every day to sit in silence, eyes closed with a focus on your breathing. Sharpen your senses to the noises, smells, and sensations around you. When thoughts arise, observe them without trying to change them.
2. Work On Physical Causes of Self-Conscious Emotions
Loving and accepting your body and appearance is fundamental to improving self-confidence and reducing social anxiety. You should exercise and pamper yourself because you love your body, not because you hate it.
If there are areas of your physical appearance that are causing you a lot of concern, tackle them. Try out teeth whitening services if you’re self-conscious about your smile. Get a new haircut if you want to shake up your appearance. Introduce exercise into your life to feel stronger and more confident.
True self-love comes from within, though. Don’t rely on these physical changes to make a long-term impact on your self-image. Rather, see them as a jumping board to help you get started on the more difficult work.
3. Challenge the Way You Think
Many self-conscious emotions and overwhelming feelings arise from thinking that others are judging you, or your own critical inner voice. It’s time to challenge your own thoughts to stop being too self-conscious.
Start by realizing that people notice you less than you think. For example, if you’re worried about what people think about what you’re wearing, try to remember what 5 people were wearing at the last social gathering you attended. While you’re concerned that everyone is noticing you, other people have the same concern about themselves.
What feels very noticeable, embarrassing, and obvious to you, often flies way under the radar for everyone around you.
Challenge your inner critic by reinforcing positive traits about yourself. You may struggle to identify these in yourself at first, but making it a regular practice will shine a light on all your amazing qualities over time.
Feeling Self-Conscious Doesn’t Need to Be Forever
Overcoming feeling self-conscious and overwhelmed is not a simple thing, but it can be done. You can start by applying these three practices in your life and being consistent. Practice mindfulness to get an objective perspective, work on your physical appearance from a place of love, and challenge that inner voice.
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