subject: Overcoming Shyness - The Fear Of People [print this page] Do you ever tense up and feel gripped by fear at the thought of meeting new people? Do you wonder why people are shy?
This article is a brief guide to understanding shyness and social anxiety.
It is not unusual for most people to feel some shyness at some point in their lives but there are a small minority of people who feel intense fear of social situations for the majority of their lives. They are unable to move ahead in life because they are crippled by social anxiety. These people are often reclusive and avoid any social contact if they can. The reason being they have a phobia of social interaction. It brings them a lot of stress and very unpleasant physical sensations. It is only natural that one would wish to avoid situations that bring about such unpleasant feelings.
The person becomes trapped as they do not have the skills or answers to overcome the fear and so it perpetuates. It soon becomes habitual and very difficult to break free from. They lose self-esteem and the opportunities to improve their social skills.
So how can a person break free from this prison? Perhaps by gaining an understanding of what is causing the fear. What are they thinking about before, during and after? Becoming aware of deep seated beliefs they have about how they think others are viewing them and how they view themselves could help. They could question these beliefs. Ask themselves is it really true?
If they could stop judging themselves and understand that they are just wired a little differently and accept themselves as they are. That it's not their fault they are fearful of others and that others are willing to accept this character trait they have. Just as the shy person is willing to accept character traits others may posses that they don't.
Lastly the shy person can learn to be willing to feel fear and embrace strong unpleasant emotions by not judging them but being accepting and open to them.
If the shy person can see that the anxiety is just one of many different parts that make up who they are and not all that they are they may be able to step back and see themselves with a new perspective. The shy person may learn to see they have value and the skills to deal with socializing.
