Humans are relational beings. We seek social acceptance. We have an innate need to belong. We want to fit it. We want to belong to a tribe. This is built into our DNA and vestige of our cavepeople days. We may have evolved and been upgraded, but much of our software is still the same.
Given this context, it makes sense that we would have social anxiety. We have social anxiety because we are nervous about people’s perceptions of us if we’re going to fit in, be socially accepted, and ultimately belong.
We fear social embarrassment and fear of judgment of others.
Recognizing these facts helps us understand our own social anxieties and desires for social acceptance.
This also sheds some light on why so many of us are enraptured by social media. Specifically why we seek validation from social media in the form of likes, comments, and followers. We want people to like us.
You are not alone.
We all have social anxiety.
The good news, other than everyone struggles with it, is that you can reduce social anxiety.
Some ways to reduce social anxiety is to focus on your breathing, keep perspective, train yourself to care less about people’s opinions of us, and be happy in our own skin. Ultimately it’s about making a commitment to yourself to be authentic in your interactions and with your self talk. It’s about learning about your innermost self and striving to evolve in every aspect of life. And it’s about discovering who we can be our “self” around and who will love and accept us come what may.
Find Your Tribe.
Find your tribe, by all means. But don’t change to fit the mold or fit into a certain group. Stay true to who you are and be yourself. You’ll find people who accept you for who and as you are. Those are real friends. That a healthy group of people to be connected to. A tribe in which you can be 100% you.
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It’s comforting to know that everyone struggles with some type of social anxiety. And we all seek different forms of social acceptance – be it through followers, likes, or IRL. When we are cognizant of what triggers the social anxiety we are more equipped to better handle it and surmount the social challenges it presents.
Humans are not meant to stay the same. We’re built to evolve. We have our strengths and we have our weakness. With each day we can honor our personal commitment to making more strengths out of those weakness.
Social anxiety is one type of weakness but with intention and practice, we can transform it into social strength.
Get after it!
Happy Explearning ⚡
More lessons to check out:
Free Your Mind and Reduce Social Anxiety
Social Anxiety | Overcome the Fear of Being Judged
How To Speak Clearly And Loudly
Shaky Voice and Shaky Hands: Solving Speaking Anxiety (Live)
About the Author and the Explearning Academy:
Mary Daphne is an expert in communication, executive interpersonal skills, and personal development. She is the founder of the Explearning Academy, a platform dedicated to helping individuals enhance their social fluency, boost their careers, and elevate their social game. Through immersive group coaching programs like the Executive Communication Lab and self-guided journeys, participants gain the social superpowers and career catapults they've been searching for. If you're ready to take your negotiation skills to the next level and connect with like-minded individuals, visit academy.explearning.co and explore the various plans available. Join the Explearning Academy community and unlock your full potential.
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