Those with social anxiety definitely know the hardships when confronted with their own fears of threatening situations.
However, what if something as simple as meditation could be immensely helpful? What if taking just a few minutes a day to practice meditation exercises could change your whole world?
Meditation has been around for centuries. This isn’t anything new, however it is incredibly underused.
Often times people with social anxiety opt for pharmaceutical intervention, and sadly alcohol, in an effort to overcome their irrational fears.
Whereas meditation for social anxiety might be the easiest, least expensive and most effective treatment.
How Meditation Can Make a Difference
Meditation techniques are about training your brain to focus. It’s about bringing your thought process back into reality, the here and now, and not allowing your mind to devour what happened yesterday or what might happen tomorrow.
Although it’s probably best to learn your way through it when you are alone and in a safe space, eventually you’ll be able to meditate just about anywhere.
In any circumstance or situation that might be uncomfortable or casting terror and anxiety in your direction, you can meditate and bring yourself back to a center of focus. Meditation during a social stimulus can help calm the body and mind allowing for a much less traumatic experience.
Simple Meditation Practices
You don’t have to achieve a Zen-like phenomena to perform meditation. All you need is you, your attention and a few minutes.
Morning Meditation
First thing in the morning, before your mind starts racing and trying to process the plans for the day, STOP! While still cuddled in the comfort of your warm blankets, take 5-10 minutes and focus on breathing. Just breathe. In and out. Take notice of how your body moves with each breath. Do you feel the air wisp by your lips and into your nose? Do you feel the air inflating your lungs and the relief as you slowly and deliberately exhale?
Move your legs to a cold spot in the sheets and notice how your toes feel against the cool cotton. If your mind ventures off to explore today’s agenda, gently bring it back in and focus solely on your breathing and senses.
Congratulations! You’ve just meditated.
Keep doing this and make it a daily habit and you’ll soon notice a difference. It’s worth the extra couple of minutes you give to yourself each day.
Walking Meditation
Next, take a walk. A nice slow stroll where you can focus on just being there. Feel your toes in your shoes hitting the ground first and notice which part of your foot hits the ground next. Do your socks move about in your shoes? Can you feel your shoestrings tapping with each step?
Again, if you feel your mind start to wander, reel your focus back in to exactly what’s going on now… just a simple, refreshing walk. Breathing all that crisp outside air, letting the sunshine kiss your skin.
Social Experience Meditation
You didn’t think you’d have to do this in public right? But what better place to test your boundaries and get more comfortable in social situations? Meditation is just as important during times of stress as it is when you are alone, it just takes a little more practice.
The idea in this exercise is to focus on a single object and be less interested in the fears of negative public perception. Your object could be anything from a coin in your pocket to a beverage in your hand. Anything you can touch, feel, sense and that can grab your attention. Notice every detail about it; color, size, texture. Refocus on your object when you need to relax a bit.
Meditation for social anxiety symptoms is extremely helpful and isn’t limited to a single time or place. That’s the best part. You can teach yourself to meditate in public and nobody will be the wiser. There are countless ways to meditate. Finding what works for you is key.
