Quote:
Originally Posted by yossarian  1. find quiet place (or if you are good at blocking out the world it doesnt have to be quiet)
2. focus attention and all senses on one specific thing, such as the feeling of the breath as you inhale and exhale, or any other sense. Sense it on a shallow sensory input level, and don't think about anything.
3. maintain focus
4. maintain focus
5. profit
just do it for however long you feel comfortable. even 1 minute can be highly beneficial. You dont have to sit like a pretzel or anything. It's just about focusing the attention of all your senses, clearing your thoughts, and maintaining that state for awhile.
It helps a lot with any kind of anxiety. |
I agree entirely. One important thing to remember at the start is that you will find your thoughts drifting. I'm also socially anxious, and for a while I existed in a constant state of low level anxiety. It was impossible for me to stop thoughts from running through my head and I'd barely last 3 seconds of focused attention before I'd start internally verbalising
something.
But persevere and, like me, you'll have a much greater ability to calm your mind and relax.
For socialising tips in general, you've probably read it before, but it's helped me enough that I think it's worth reiterating. To become interesting, be interested. Most people love to talk about themselves, so ask lots of questions. Become curious about everything. And if they're decent people, they'll respond in kind, giving you the chance to talk about things you're more knowledgeable about.
However, be prepared for some people who feel uncomfortable about being asked lots of questions. You'll find that they don't say much in reply, and will get annoyed if you keep asking. These are people I generally don't talk to much; for their own reasons they've already decided not to talk to me. *shrug* move on.
Finally, something that I'm yet to do, but which I've heard great things about. Toastmasters. Find a club in your area, give them a call, and pop in for a meeting. No doubt you'll find it daunting at the start, but from what I've heard it's a fantastic, supportive, encouraging environment in which to get over one's fears of public speaking, even if it's one-on-one in a social environment.