This video helps alot, the main tip that stuck with me is to “Challenge Your Negative Thoughts”.
Like your negative thoughts can get crazy and keep you from doing things you wish you felt comfortable doing (talking to people, going to social events, etc), but if you challenge them or clapback on them, it’ll help you realize that most of those negative thoughts were bullshit to begin with.
Example:
Your Thoughts: They’re not going to like you.
Challenge: Why wouldn’t they like me?
Your Thoughts: You’re going to be awkward around them.
Challenge: What’s there to be awkward about? They’re just trying to get to know me.
Your Thoughts (or specifically, the way my thoughts usually go..): They’re going to figure out you have no freinds because of how awkward you are and assume no one’s ever liked you in your whole life and that there must be a reason people don’t like you because people don’t just dislike people for no reason so they’ll be looking for that reason. You’ll be written off as an outcast within a couple minutes of knowing them.
Challenge: Or i’ll actually do a good job keeping up in the conversation and end on a good note with them.
Social Anxiety and Depression is a war of the mind, and the sooner we can conquer our thoughts the better and more calming our lives will be.
