People experiencing social anxiety can find it helpful to shift attention away from constant self-monitoring and toward the conversation or surroundings, psychologist Professor David Clark told the BBC. Clark, from the University of Oxford, also described gradually testing feared situations rather than assuming the worst will happen.
Other approaches he discussed include reducing safety behaviours, such as rehearsing every sentence or avoiding eye contact, and limiting the cycle of replaying social encounters afterward. The BBC report also follows a student who described benefiting from cognitive behavioural therapy and taking gradual steps to join activities.
These are strategies described by the psychologist in the report, not a diagnosis or a substitute for individual care. Anyone whose anxiety is affecting daily life may wish to speak with a qualified health professional about support that suits them.
Image: Antoni Shkraba / Pexels. Illustrative photograph of a group therapy session; the people pictured are not those interviewed in the report. Photo details | Pexels licence.