How to Be More Relaxed When Interacting With Others

People sometimes become stressed or anxious when interacting with other people. This social phobia can be in a work or social setting, so it can get in the way of meeting and communicating with others, as well as the progress you make in your career. There are actions you can take to become more relaxed when you are interacting with others. Try to apply them to the next situation when you find yourself becoming stressed about meeting or talking with people.

Things You'll Need

• Pen
• Paper

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Instructions

• 1

  Become aware of the negative thoughts that you hold about your own self-worth and the judgments you make about yourself when you are with others. Write down the ways that you compare yourself to others, or write the feelings that arise when you are interacting with others. Examples may include "What I have to say is never very interesting," or "I get really nervous when I have to answer questions around a group of people." This exercise will help you become more aware of what you need to address to relieve social anxiety.

• 2

  Write down positive personal thoughts next to the negative thoughts about yourself. These should include things that will help you gain confidence when interacting with others. Some examples include "I am well-educated and have good thoughts to contribute to conversations," or "My confidence comes from within me, not from other people."

• 3

  Allow yourself to feel stress and discomfort when you are interacting with others, then immediately address why you feel this way. Practice removing the negative thoughts with positive thoughts like you did in the writing exercise. Confident social interaction takes practice, so keep working at removing the thoughts you carry about yourself that hold you back from meeting and communicating with others.

• 4

  Make yourself as comfortable as possible in every situation of interaction that you encounter. Hold a glass of water in your hands if you don't know what to do with your hands when you are interacting with others, or find a seat in a room to talk to someone if you feel uncomfortable standing up. To ease stress, you may want to get in an exercise session before you go to a party, or even just talk to someone you know well before you go to a job interview. Pay attention to the things that make you feel good about yourself so you can embrace them to help you interact with others. If you ever find yourself getting stressed or overwhelmed, just excuse yourself for a moment and take a few deep breaths.