- Like
- Digg
- Del
- Tumblr
- VKontakte
- Buffer
- Love This
- Odnoklassniki
- Meneame
- Blogger
- Amazon
- Yahoo Mail
- Gmail
- AOL
- Newsvine
- HackerNews
- Evernote
- MySpace
- Mail.ru
- Viadeo
- Line
- Comments
- Yummly
- SMS
- Viber
- Telegram
- Subscribe
- Skype
- Facebook Messenger
- Kakao
- LiveJournal
- Yammer
- Edgar
- Fintel
- Mix
- Instapaper
- Copy Link
Social anxiety at any level can cripple a professional career and generate a spiral effect of depressive emotions.
Although it’s normal to feel anxious when giving a presentation, going somewhere new, or meeting new people, a social anxiety disorder can make everyday interactions unbearable.
Not wanting to be judged and fearing rejection is especially common when you’re young, but it can cause mental strain through old age if not dealt with. Networking and communication aren’t always taught in mental health frameworks, but any health guide for college students or professionals isn’t complete without these topics.
To live a fulfilling life and even be successful in any given career field, learning how to network and be social is necessary. You cannot allow anxiety to keep you from seizing opportunities, but you can overcome social phobia by taking the initiative.
Why do people avoid networking?
Today’s networking culture is vastly different than it was 20 or 30 years ago, but the foundations of building connections with people are relatively the same. If networking or generally being social is something you typically avoid, social anxiety could be the underlying cause.
For most of the population, these discomforts are not clinically diagnosable, but they can still cause major issues that affect one’s self-esteem. The effects of social phobia can cause mental and physical strain on the body, so it is important not to avoid the issue.
A great place to start when looking to begin overcoming social fear is to analyze what emotions you feel and change your perspective on networking.
Networking Is Not Selling
Whether you’re looking for ways on how to work from home successfully or climb the corporate ladder, you’ll be told to “sell yourself.” Contrary to the advice you may have been given, networking and selling yourself are two different things.
Networking is about making genuine connections with other professionals and clients to grow your platform. No matter what you do, you will need help, resources, and customers to be successful. However, you don’t have to be fake to get there.
Making connections isn’t always easy and can be intimidating, but the more comfortable you are talking about yourself, the easier it will be to connect naturally.
Don’t Allow Lack of Confidence to Hold You Back
Even though confidence is key, knowing how to present and assert yourself takes more than practice. Increasing your self-esteem and confidence literally changes your brain chemistry and takes time and effort.
The amygdala is the root cause of that paralyzing feeling that often comes when meeting new people or speaking in public. The anxiousness behind potentially being judged, not liked, or even harmed are emotional trauma responses strong enough to have physical manifestations.
The amygdala is better known for our “fight-or-flight” response, and in cases of severe anxiety, that part of the brain becomes hyperactive. This is also why anxiety can have physical responses that can be seen in symptoms like shortness of breath, sweaty palms, increased heart rates, nausea, trembling, and more.
There are many reasons and symptoms why low self-esteem and confidence can make networking seem unbearable. Still, by building your confidence, the mental and physical tolls of anxiety will begin to ease.
The Difference Between Shyness and Anxiety
Many people self-identify as shy, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Shyness is a natural personality trait that does not cripple your quality of life or daily interactions. When being shy turns into a larger issue, it is time to consider that anxiety could be presenting a deeper problem.
If you often use shyness as a justification for avoiding crowds, going places, or a hindered job performance getting medical counsel could be helpful.
A few tests that may be used to evaluate if you suffer from social anxiety disorder (SAD) include:
- Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale
- Liebowitz Social Phobia Scale
- Mini-Social Phobia Inventory (Mini-SPIN)
- Social Avoidance and Distress Scale
Doctors and psychologists conduct these tests, which typically consist of answering a series of questions about your life.
What triggers social anxiety?
Emotions and symptoms of SAD can have many factors that contribute to the severity of the disorder. In most cases, SAD and even normal levels of anxiety have more than one source feeding the negative emotion.
Catalysts of SAD and moments of heightened anxiety mainly come from a mixture of these three sources:
- Brain structure – A hyperactive amygdala has been shown to play a cardinal role in how we emotionally respond. After a diagnosis, a doctor may prescribe medication that aids in the amygdala and hormone regulation.
- Environment – Social anxiety disorder can also develop through trauma and learned behavior. Trauma can range from experiencing toxic environments, getting embarrassed socially, getting bullied, or enduring verbal or physical abuse.
- Inherited genetic makeup – Anxiety disorders can run in and be passed down genetically within families.
Someone who suffers from SAD is more likely to endure complications such as depression, eating disorders, self-harm, and addictive behaviors because of their isolation and obsessive thoughts.
In the most severe cases, these disorders can even result in fatality due to substance abuse, overdose, and suicide. Anxiety can even raise your life insurance rates depending on the severity.
How do I get over my fear of networking?
Overcoming fears and trauma responses are not easy, but healing is necessary to occupy space in the professional setting of any field.
If you find that anxiety and fears of being social impact your life in overwhelming amounts, it is best to see a professional to help address and treat the root cause.
Social anxiety disorders are extremely treatable, and holistic methods to treat them are common. Creating new lifestyle habits that increase your self-worth and calm anxiousness will help keep SAD conditions and symptoms under control.
It may take time to find exactly what methods are effective for you, and more importantly, which you enjoy. As long as the methods and lifestyle changes you choose are practical, there should be no reason why you won’t see results.
In the meantime, talk to a friend or someone you trust about your social anxiety and start small. Slowly test your comfort zone and set small goals you wish to achieve. By trying to see sharing your personality with others as creating opportunities as getting free publicity, you will also improve your social and professional life.
Being social is the cheapest, most straightforward, and natural way to build your network or even find a job. Don’t allow yourself to miss out on opportunities that fit your talents and find out what resources are available to help.
- Like
- Digg
- Del
- Tumblr
- VKontakte
- Buffer
- Love This
- Odnoklassniki
- Meneame
- Blogger
- Amazon
- Yahoo Mail
- Gmail
- AOL
- Newsvine
- HackerNews
- Evernote
- MySpace
- Mail.ru
- Viadeo
- Line
- Comments
- Yummly
- SMS
- Viber
- Telegram
- Subscribe
- Skype
- Facebook Messenger
- Kakao
- LiveJournal
- Yammer
- Edgar
- Fintel
- Mix
- Instapaper
- Copy Link