Specific Goals A Must To Cure Social Anxiety

Overcoming social anxiety can be a long journey, especially if you have no idea how to get there.   One step of the journey is setting goals.  Specific goals are a must to curing your social anxiety.  Being specific in your goal setting helps you to know when you’ve reached that goal.

For instance, you might say your goal is to be rid of social anxiety.  That is all well and good, but how will you know when you’ve reached that goal?  I tried doing that very thing.  My goal was to be free of social anxiety.  Then I actually went to the store and had a panic attack.  Well, I went to the store which is actually a huge accomplishment, but I certainly didn’t want a panic attack.  In the end, I didn’t know if I reached my goal or not.

So, set a specific goal.  For instance, I should have said, “I want to go to the store and feel relaxed.”  Having a panic attack is far from relaxing, so not reaching my goal would have been obvious.  Also knowing that, I could have practiced coping skills for the next time I go to the store to ensure a better time, and have a better chance at reaching my goal.  Instead, I thought I was a failure and that I would never reach my goals and be rid of social anxiety. 

Start small.  If your social anxiety is severe, maybe a huge goal would be to sit on your front porch for 5 minutes feeling relaxed.  Once you have your goals written down, start with the smallest and work your way up to more challenging goals.  Take it as slow as you need to, but be consistent and keep moving toward a goal.

Good Luck!