Why Joining Local Groups Can Help With Your Anxiety

If you have anxiety, particularly related to social situations like social phobias, it is 
important that you start inserting yourself into more social situations. One way to do this 
is by joining local groups. Take a look at why this can be so helpful.

You Can Meet People More Easily

Joining local groups makes it a lot easier for you to meet new people. A big problem 
with social anxiety isn’t just that you fear being around others, but that it can make it 
almost impossible to make friends. This creates a feeling of loneliness, which can lead 
to depression and a host of other issues. But if you can find a way to meet new people, 
even one or two close friends, this can make a world of difference. Since you probably 
have difficulty making friends in other ways, it helps to join a local group with a small 
number of people that share your interests, making it much easier to connect with them. 

It Helps You Enjoy Your Favorite Activities

These groups should be for activities or hobbies that you already enjoy or are interested 
in. That way, the connection forms based on a mutual interest. Suddenly you feel more 
confident being around them and socializing with them because you have something 
important to say. Perhaps you join a local hiking group or painting club. Instead of 
stressing about what to talk about or getting stuck in small talk with awkward silences, 
you can talk about the activity that the group is themed around. This keeps the 
conversation going, which ultimately leads you to feeling less anxious about 
communicating with them. .

They Become Your Support System

Don’t forget when you have close friends that you meet through these groups or clubs, 
you also have a good support system. Through this mutual interest and connection you 
form, you will be able to make friends that understand you and what you are going 
through. You can even join another anxiety group, where everyone is dealing with the 
exact same thing. You are able to be a support system for each other, whether that 
means being the person they bring to a party, or calling someone up when you are 
having a major panic attack. This really is priceless and is hard to find, so joining a 
group gets you one step closer.





