Tips For Handling Social Situations When You Have Anxiety

If you are someone that deals with social anxiety, it can be hard enough to handle daily 
situations, but social situations are downright brutal. Here are a few tips to help you deal 
with them so you are not constantly canceling your plans.

Bring a Friend

This is probably something you already do, and definitely can help so keep doing it! 
When you have social anxiety and have to do something with other people you don’t 
know, being alone is usually where those fearful feelings start. You don’t feel confident 
enough to just go up to people you don’t know and strike up conversations, so you end 
up not going, or sitting in the corner and just hope people approach you instead. A 
better option is to bring someone with you, whether it’s a friend, relative, or significant 
other. Being around someone else who you know and trust can help improve your mood 
and confidence, and allow you to be social when needed.

Relax Yourself Beforehand

The next thing you should do is learn easy ways to relax and de-stress before the social 
event. This is going to depend on what works best for you, as it can be different for 
everyone. Some options include deep breathing exercises, getting a little bit of a 
workout done, or eating a healthy and filling meal. Writing in a journal can also help you 
relax, as well as meditating for a few minutes. Try to find what works for you, then make 
sure you save enough time for this relaxing practice before you are to go to the social 
event.

Find a Distraction

When you get to the event or social situation, you may need something to distract you 
from your anxious and fearful emotions. The more you experience these emotions and 
feelings, the worse your anxiety is going to become. The best thing you can do is find 
something that will distract you. This might be as simple as looking at something on 
your phone, to staying by the food area and eating. You can also find something like 
watching a group of people play a game to help distract you. There are no hard and fast 
rules here. But doing something like reading a book while at a busy restaurant and 
eating alone makes a drastic difference in how you feel while in that situation.



