Many people with social anxieties have been in a “comfort zone” bubble during the lockdowns, but are now feeling panic has lockdowns and restrictions have been removed .
Social anxiety is difficult enough to cope with in normal circumstances, but factor in a year-long shut-down of our communities and amenities and that social anxiety becomes more serious.
You may be worried right now about the imminent return to normal life and maybe you are struggling with the anxious thoughts about future interactions
Will my friends want to see me again?
Have I achieved enough during lockdown?
What if I say something stupid or boring?
“You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realised how seldom they do.”
― Eleanor Roosevelt, American political figure, diplomat and activist
Humans are biologically wired to try and predict the future. So if you are feeling uncertain about what lies ahead that is perfectly okay, because the worries you have are not actually real. Your anxiety makes them real and serves to trap you in a cycle.
How can we move away from the uncertainty and towards of life of calm with the world?
Awareness is the key.
Awareness is your superpower!
These five strategies will help and practice them daily.
- Take note of your personal ‘worry story’ - recognise how the narrative affects you and try to distance yourself from it.
- Acknowledge your thoughts and challenge them, rather than deny them. They may be negative, but they are just what they are - thoughts! The fact that you think the thought doesn’t make them true! Don’t let your thoughts rule or define you.
- Learn to control your breathing. When we are anxious, we tend to take shallow breaths, which itself puts your body in a state of ‘alert’ and causes us to feel even more anxious. Try some breathing and relaxation techniques.
- Bring your mind to the present - don’t try to live in the future, or in the past!
- Face the fear - be prepared to feel a little uncomfortable, but know that you can overcome this!
The more you practice these five strategies the better you will feel.
If you would like further help hypnotherapy can provide tailor sessions. Sessions can be taken online and at your convenience and will address your own particular concerns.
Hypnotherapy will enable you to live the life YOU want to live FREE from post-lockdown doubt and anxiety. So contact me NOW and be ready to take on the world again!
Book your FREE consultation here https://calendly.com/hypnoshift/15min