Social anxiety affects a great deal of people, including yours truly. I still have bouts to deal with every now and then, but I’ve used my mental faculties to overcome my own social anxiety over the course of my 29 years of life to becoming the blossoming singer and comedic actor you see today. The key in overcoming a bad habit is not to focus on the problem, nor what you can do to make it better, but to start with what it is you want to be and work from there. If you have some level of social anxiety, there’s no need to research statistics on it or seek a doctor’s help if you’re feeling okay otherwise (although it never hurts to get a doctor’s opinion, but if it doesn’t sound right to you don’t follow his or her advice).
Start with what you know. Get out a piece of paper and pen, or sit at your computer, and write out what it is you want to accomplish. Be specific, (the actual details don’t matter because this is a fantasy where the reality may just be close to it when it occurs) and make it present tense so it sounds familiar to you. For example, “I am so happy and grateful now that I have seven really good friends who I can talk to, hang out with, and go everywhere with. I have so much fun with my friends I sometimes lose track of time! We go to movies, shoe shopping, and of course to restaurants that are the hottest spots in town. Above all though, my favorite person in the world is my soul mate.
S/he and I go everywhere together, we’re even planning to go on a world cruise next year. I can go to the grocery store, buy furniture for my beautiful home, and run my life with confidence because I have a firm understanding that I live in a friendly universe.” Focus on this desire and see what things come to you, ideas that maybe you didn’t see before of things you could do to start living this type of life. Maybe it’s something as small as walking with your head forward and eyes on the horizon line, or maybe it’s attending a mixer hosted by a local charity. Whatever small steps you can take to get you in the right mindset that you do in fact not have social anxiety today will make a significant shift in your reality.