How You can overcome Social Anxiety

How Can You Overcome Social Anxiety?

Find The Source – Try to determine the source of the anxiety. Think back to when the problem started and look at how you have  or have not resolved it in the past as a guide to helping yourself now and in the future.
You don't have to be "The life of the Party" to be social - Just be you.  Focus on your strengths.  Are you a good listener? A kind person? A good observer? Do you share an interest with others? The world needs good communicators but it also needs good listeners.

Take a Deep Breath – Deep breathing exercises can help reduce stress, and in turn, reduce the anxiety response.
Take Small Steps – Try starting out with smaller groups and build up to larger ones.

Don’t Talk Yourself Out of It – Many times people talk themselves out of doing things they want to do by focusing on the negatives, try focusing on the positives when such thoughts occur.

Take Someone With You – Having a friend or someone you already know with you can help reduce social anxiety.

Distract Yourself – When you begin to feel anxious, try thinking about something else, perhaps think about what you are going to eat for lunch or dinner, etc. to occupy your mind.

Rehearse – Practice with a friend or small group prior to going to a larger group to build your confidence.

Take breaks when you need them - If you are feeling overwhelmed, there is nothing wrong with taking short breaks to recuperate. Go to the bathroom, go outside for fresh air etc.

If all else fails, seek the help of a Therapist - You don't have to be "crazy" to get therapy.  Therapy helps to exercise the mind and develop better coping skills.  If you go to the Gym to exercise your body, consider going to a Therapist to exercise your mind.

By Charity Loring, LMSW & James Clapper, Graduate Level Intern, Loring Therapy, LLC
www.Loringtherapy.com
Adapted from:  : http://voices.yahoo.com/10-tips-coping-social-anxiety-1882392.html

How you deal with Negative Thoughts

How You Can Deal With Negative Thoughts

Depression can cause you to view everything in a negative light, from your daily living to how you view the future.  Trying to simply “snap out of it” or “think positive” often will not help unless you replace the negative thoughts with more even thinking.

How can you Challenge such Negative Thinking?

Do not be hard on yourself – Do not place expectations on yourself that you would not expect of others

Realize you are not Perfect – Allow yourself to make mistakes, no one is perfect and mistakes are a chance to learn, not the end of the world.

Spend Time with more Positive People – The people you spend time with will often shape how you view things. Spend time with more positive friends and try to adopt their attitudes.

Keep a “Negative Thought Journal” – When you have negative thoughts write them down, then write down a more positive or realistic view of the situation, event, etc. This can help change your way of thinking and viewing things.

Do not View Things as “Black or White” – Allow for a middle ground or “grey area,” most things in life are not all good or all bad (e.g. a disagreement with a loved one over one issue does not mean one or the other is right, just a different viewpoint).

Do not Over-Generalize – Just because one thing does not work, does not mean everything will not, or that it will always happen.

Do not Ignore the Positive – It can become easy to look for the flaw and ignore the good, focus on what is going right and less on what is going wrong.

Do not Jump to Conclusions or Assume – Many times it is easy to assume the worst or jump to a conclusion, often negative, without looking at all of the evidence or waiting for the outcome.

Do not use Emotional Reasoning – Do not base your beliefs on how you feel, instead focus on what is actually happening (e.g. I feel bad, therefore I am no good, which is not the truth of the situation),

Do not hold Yourself to a Strict List of Should and ShouldNots – You will often end up feeling bad over not living up to such a strict list, allow room for all that is in between those extremes.

Do not Label Yourself Based on Mistakes – Realize if you make a mistake it does not make you a failure, etc. We all make mistakes they do not define who we are.  

By: James Clapper – Graduate Level Intern, Loring Therapy, LLC

Adapted from:http://www.helpguide.org/mental/depression_tips.htm

Do you need a Natural (and free!) Way to Overcome Depression?

Do You Need a Natural (and free!) Way to Overcome Depression?

Many people experience depression at some point in their lives. For some it may be brief but for others it can become a more long-term problem. Depression can make it difficult to get anything done (from working to being with friends or family to enjoying fun activities or hobbies), but there are some simple (and often free) ways you can reduce or overcome depression.

The first way one can reduce or overcome depression is: to get outside. Studies have shown thirty minutes of sunlight per day has many benefits, including helping to regulate your sleep/wake cycle, which can help one sleep better, and reduce depression.

The second way to reduce or overcome depression is: aerobic exercise. Try to get your heart rate up to 120-160 beats per minute, preferably for 30 minutes, three times per week (check with your doctor first). Increasing your heart rate increases blood flow and oxygen distribution throughout your body, which can help reduce depression.

The third way to reduce depression is: omega-3 fatty acids, which can come from taking fish oil pills, multi-vitamins, or eating foods high in omega-3, including fish and healthy vegetables. Omega-3 fatty acids help improve the function of the brain and the neural activity within it, which can help reduce depression.

The fourth way to reduce depression is: to get a good night’ssleep. Avoid stimulating activities before bed, including television, use of a computer, or cell phone. Avoid activities that over stimulate the mind, focus on calming activities close to bed time. Avoid caffeine and alcohol. Proper rest can tremendously reduce depression.

The fifth way to reduce depression is: to be with friends or family (in-person, not online). Enjoying social activities, going to dinner or a movie, or just spending time together, talking, etc. stimulates the mind and helps reduce depression.

The sixth way to reduce depression is: avoid dwelling on problems or negative thoughts. While not easy, it is possible to catch yourself and tell yourself to stop dwelling on the bad and focus on the good. Visualize a stop sign or stoplight each time you find yourself focusing or dwelling on the bad if it helps and instead think about the good things in life, look for the positives and focus on them. If this is too difficult to do on your own, consider seeking the help of a therapist or supportive group therapy.

By James Clapper, graduate level intern, Loring Therapy

(Adapted from: http://zenhabits.net/6-practical-and-powerful-ways-to-overcome-depression/)