Social Anxiety Disorder Self Help - 5 Tips You Can Use Right Now

It's not easy to overcome social anxiety disorder, but there are things you can do to start yourself back on the right path. What follows are 5 simple tips that you can put into action right now. By following some or all of these tips, you'll give yourself a real boost of momentum, and this boost can sometimes lead to a real surge towards complete recovery.

1) Take Up A New Hobby: Having something new and fun in your life can work wonders if you're struggling with social anxiety. And if it's something that you really love and that you're passionate about, the results can be even more dramatic.

The new hobby will work as a perfect distraction and give you a break from the stress and worry that you normally feel 24/7. This alone will be very beneficial - never giving yourself a break from your worry can lead to a very low mood indeed!

2) Push Yourself, But Only When You Feel Strong: Doctors and psychiatrists will often tell people affected with social anxiety disorder to push themselves - to try to make a bit of progress every day towards your final goal.

But if you stick to this piece of advice, and force yourself to do things that terrify you when you're feeling low or weak, it can do more harm than good. So of course, try to make progress, but take those forward steps only on days when you know you're up to it, and stop those times when you try to take one step forward and end up taking two steps backwards.

3) Take Five Minute Time-Outs: When you feel like you need it, take a five minute time-out from whatever you're doing.

Go somewhere quiet and read a book for five minutes. Lie down and listen to some music that puts you in a positive mood for five minutes.

Go for a walk somewhere peaceful, on your own, and enjoy that you're giving yourself those five minutes with no pressure to achieve anything but relax.

4) Keep A journal, But Do It Right: Keeping a journal can work in much the same way as tip #1 - it occupies your mind with something engaging, and it allows your mind to focus on something other than your social anxiety disorder.

But to really benefit from keeping a journal, do it the right way.

Be honest with what you write, but at the same time, write one positive thing for every negative thing. It doesn't have to be anything incredible, and it doesn't have to be anything that would impress anyone else.

It simply has to be a moment from your day you enjoyed, or a thought you had that was pleasant. Anything positive!

Another great tip is to go back and read your journal from time to time. Notice patterns about your positive thoughts and positive moments, and expose yourself to more of them. Do lots of whatever it is that makes you feel good!

5) Find A SAD Buddy: Having someone else who knows what it's like to have social anxiety disorder can be very beneficial. It's always nice to be able to share a problem!

Make friends by searching online forums and message boards. Help other people by answering questions, and ask your own too!

It might even be a good idea to find a SAD Sponsor! In Alcoholics Anonymous, people who attend meetings are often paired up with someone else, and if either of them is having a hard time, they can get in touch with their sponsor.

So if you develop a friendship with someone else with social anxiety disorder, suggest that you become each other's sponsor. If either of you needs advice, or just someone to listen, then you know it's just an email away.

Make following these 5 tips your new goal. If you can stick to even just a couple of them you'll be amazed what a difference it can make.

Since overcoming a lifelong battle with anxiety and panic disorder in 2007, Alex Taylor now devotes his time to helping others recover. He achieves this via his highly-acclaimed online course, "Beat Panic Today." You can experience the same results that many others have experienced by accessing the course right now, free of charge, by going to Alex's website: http://www.PreventYourPanic.com