Almost everyone has experienced symptoms of social anxiety disorder at one time or another. However, the holiday season is a time to be jolly by attending family gatherings, meeting friends and visiting work colleagues. Many people look forward to this season, but to people with social anxiety disorder, it’s a whole different story. Perhaps, you are wondering how to cope with this disorder during the holiday season? Here are some of the tips you can adopt.
Realize fear is part of human being
One of the first things people need to know is that as long as they continue to grow as a person they have to feel moments of fear. It’s completely natural to experience fear every time you leave the comfort zone and this creates an opportunity for growth.
Learning more about social anxiety
Several books and websites are available that offer a lot of information on social anxiety. This will help you understand other people's experiences anxiety and how to cope with it.
Visit medical practitioner
It’s advisable to visit a doctor if you realize that social anxiety is negatively impacting your life. Sharing with the doctor enables him or her to make a proper diagnosis and then discuss with you the treatment options available. If the doctor advises you to go to a psychologist or psychiatrist or even refers you to another medical practitioner be careful to follow their advice.
Surrounding yourself with a support network
Surrounding yourself with people who can encourage you will help you calm the anxiety. Watching a movie can also keep anxiety away.
Retrain your brain
Positive thinking and cognitive behavioral therapy are very beneficial. Writing or posting an inspirational message on the wall with encouraging messages can help in overcoming anxiety. Observing visual anchors such as clouds, Pisces or listening to ocean waves have been found to calm anxiety.
Keeping an anxiety diary
Keeping a daily diary to track the moods hour by hour will promote the recovery rate. This may also help to identify the possible triggering factors of anxiety. Rating yourself every day on a scale of 10 will help you overcome this disorder.
Eating super moods food
Eating certain foods such as processed flour, fat, drinking too much caffeine and alcohol impacts on energy and anxiety levels. Eating foods such as broth soup, porridge, and dark green leafy vegetables may keep in check the anxiety levels.
Exercise
Sweating due to exercises such as walking or swimming can offer an immediate solution to anxiety. Aerobic exercise is also effective in relieving mild depression. Exercise increases the activity of brain chemicals such as serotonin and dopamine as well as growth hormones that curtails depression
Believe you can get better
Everything can be overcome by the change of the mindset. It’s important to believe and not to stop believing that anxiety can be overcome no matter what causes it.
Social anxiety disorder is a social illness and the above tips can help an individual to cope with the situation. In case you have symptoms of this disorder you can access medical health care for low cost using European health insurance cards. Visit ehicuk.org for more information on this health card.