10 Tips To Overcome Social Anxiety In College

Learning to overcome social anxiety can lead to a lot of stress. College can be daunting for many students. For most, it’s the first time in their lives where they are living with such independence. No parents are watching over you, and your academic career is in your hands. Many however, retreat into their dorms, frightened to interact with others as they’re just too scared to get involved. There are many reasons why they do this such as stress, fear, or differences in culture, but the key to overcoming this lies in developing two attributes. That’s right just two, they are –

Confidence

Shamelessness

A confident person stands tall and people notice, so you’ll be treated differently. The shameless person doesn’t care about what others think, and so that in itself displays confidence to the observer which then makes one more likable. So, here’s how you can easily develop these –

Get Fit

Building muscle is the single fastest way to skyrocket your confidence. The testosterone increase will naturally change your behavior. You’ll be more pleasant to look at and carry yourself with some pride. People instantly judge you by how you hold yourself and so if you have a wimpy demeanor, others will treat you as such. Appearance is everything these days, so keep yourself fit. You can gain muscle with weights or with body-weight exercises. For fat loss, sprint 2-3x a week for 10-30 seconds. The growth hormone will surge throughout your veins, thus melting the gut right off.

Stop Thinking there’s Something Wrong with You

There’s nothing wrong with you other than the fact that you think there’s something wrong with you! College in a way pressures you into making friends and enjoying the on campus experience, but it’s over hyped up. You’ll find soon enough that most students go to class and go home to take a nap just like you. So just because you’re not living a fantasy life like you see on other people’s Facebook, doesn’t mean you’re any less. As a matter of fact, stay away from Facebook, it’s been found to increase depression.

Get Good Grades

Those who do well, are loved by everyone. Especially, in tough course like chemistry, if you’re the one who does well when others are struggling, you’ll be person everyone wants to be friends with. I’ve seen so many kids flocking over to the students who get the good grades when everyone else fails. This will give you confidence and a sense of value and importance.

Join Clubs or Sports which interest you

Associating with those who already have similar hobbies or likes will make it easier to connect. When I was living on campus and didn’t know anyone, I quickly made friends by multiple joining clubs which interested me. It can be art, games, or billiards, almost any club works, because the ice is broken as you already have something in common. A fun way to meet others is through sports. Volleyball, ping pong, tennis, these are all great for making friends. Most college have intramural or clubs where you can casually play for fun.

Be Who You Are

Many Freshman make the mistake of modifying their behavior to gain acceptance. Bad idea. When you do it, you appear shady and nobody wants to hang around someone who is fake. Stop caring about what others think about you. There’s nothing wrong with who you are. Have the mentality that you are fine the way you are as a person, and that’s it’s a privilege for others to associate with you. If people don’t like you, it’s their problem. Be who you are, don’t try to make everyone happy, because you’ll end up making everyone hate you.

Work on Campus

This is a very easy way to interact with others, because your position will automatically make you have casual conversations with all you come to you. It can be at the gym, the coffee shop, the help desk, or even at the library. You’ll be talking with fellow students daily.

Sleep a lot

Resting is the best way to let your problems go and balance your mind. Stress from school can affect your mood, and getting enough sleep is very important for your brain. It’s not just for physical rejuvenation, it goes much beyond that. Your brain’s performance is greatly influenced by how much proper sleep you get. When you are well rested, your brain produces enough feel good chemicals to keep you grounded. Trust me, I studied neuroscience. Forget your problems, just sleep on it!

Become a Tutor

Want an easy way to be loved and needed by others? Well, put your smarts to use and become an academic tutor. You’ll always be wanted by others and many will look up to you. You’ll be seen by others as intelligent and “the man” (or woman) so your advice will be sought by many.

Take Cold Showers

Doing this ramps up your circulation and testosterone giving you a boost in hormones, not to mention waking you up. Adjust the temperature to a level you can withstand, but is slightly uncomfortable.

Take L-Theanine

Found to calm the mind and improve social interactions, this compound will help you keep your cool. You can get it naturally from green tea, or can get the capsules.

You’ll Get Friends, So Don’t Worry, Be Happy

College is a time to learn and develop yourself. You’ll discover more about yourself and what you want out of life, so don’t worry about the silly social pressures society puts on you. Chances are, there are many others going through the same thing you are, so take it easy, it’ll all work out.

You’re there to learn and have fun, so enjoy it! Learning how to overcome social anxiety can be a lot but these tips will help.