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December 2007

Welcome!

I hope this issue of Break Free From Anxiety finds you well. If you celebrate Christmas, this time of year can be stressful, so beat your anxiety by practicing your favourite anxiety-busting techniques. My free e-course gives you some great ideas.

In this issue, I’ll be taking a look at the 6 steps you can take to beat social anxiety. Let me know how you get on - I’d love to hear about your experiences.

I’m also hoping that you will help me by answering a quick question. It won’t take long - it really is only one question!

As always, I hope you find the information in this newsletter useful. If there are any particular questions you would like answered, please email me.

Warm regards,
Karen

6 Steps To Beat Social Anxiety

Social anxiety is about feeling "overwhelmed." That feeling of being overwhelmed is what pushes people into limiting their life to a greater and greater extent, until they find themselves living in a very small world indeed. But it doesn’t have to stay that way. Understanding that your social anxiety is really all about feeling overwhelmed can help you to gradually begin making changes to eliminate it. To help you do this, try this simple plan of action…
 
1. Accept the situation and do not feel bad about it at all.

2. Begin putting yourself in social situations for very short periods of time. This is extremely important, because when you do this, you are limiting yourself instead of having your anxiety limit you. In other words, you are taking back control over the situation, and are not reacting, like a victim would.
 
3. Talk to those who are very close to you and might be affected by this, and let them know what you are doing and exactly why you are doing it. Remember to be unapologetic about explaining it to them. There is nothing to apologize for! Be very matter-of-fact about it.
 
4. As stated, keep your social interactions very brief. If 5 minutes is all you are comfortable with, then do 5 minutes and feel perfectly fine about that. Even if 1 minute is all you can do, that’s just fine. Remember, you are in control, and you are placing the limits - not anything outside of you.
 
5. Gradually begin to increase the time you spend in social interactions but…do this very slowly. Don’t push it! Even if you increase it by a few minutes every month, that is better than letting yourself get overwhelmed in a situation.
 
6. Remember this phrase, "Nothing succeeds like success." This means that success builds momentum and leads to greater success. This is particularly true with social anxiety. It is very important that you continue to have good social interaction that does not overwhelm you. It does not matter how long the interaction is; all that matters is that you get through it without any strong negative feelings. Do not push yourself too hard. You don’t have to!  

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Karen Field, Personal Development Coach, founder of http://www.breakfreefromanxiety.co.uk helps people to learn to manage their anxiety to create a life free from stress. To sign up for her free mini e-course, visit http://www.breakfreefromanxiety.co.uk

Karen recommends

If you would like more support with social anxiety, try the EasyCalm system which contains lots of information about social anxiety and specific strategies to use to achieve the results you want. Check out the EasyCalmVideo Coaching Series and watch the FREE 27 minute training video at their website.

Disclaimer

I am not a medical professional. If you have any doubts about the suitability of these techniques or if you have any pre-existing medical conditions; please consult your doctor first.

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