How To Cope With Social Phobias In The Workplace

This post was developed via a partnership with BetterHelp.

As part of coping with social anxiety disorder at work, it’s important to recognize how your issue affects your daily life and find ways to overcome it. Anxiety symptoms can only be controlled to some extent if they are properly diagnosed and treated. As a result, you may be able to get special considerations from your employer to help you execute your job more effectively.

As a result, people with SAD may have difficulties networking efficiently, avoiding corporate social gatherings, forming relationships with coworkers, and expressing themselves in meetings, among other issues.

If your anxiety is preventing you from progressing in your profession, or if you just want to feel more at ease at work, you should spend some time getting used to the social parts of your job.

Let’s have a look at how you might handle some of these situations.

Completing your job responsibilities

For persons with social anxiety, some elements of job might be difficult. A salesperson can find themselves needing to make cold calls to potential customers. Your job description may include giving presentations or speeches. Anxiety might be exacerbated if your profession requires exceptional interpersonal skills or the capacity to execute under pressure.

Anxiety, on the other hand, is a problem that can be overcome if you choose a profession that is in line with your interests and personality. Reading self-help books on social skills or joining clubs like Toastmasters could help you improve your work performance. Visit this page to learn more about different ways you can cope with social phobias in and out of the workplace.

Getting to know your coworkers

Success in your professional life hinges on your ability to effectively utilize your network of contacts. To succeed at work, you must be able to create strong relationships with the individuals you work with. If you spend most of your lives at work, wouldn’t it be nice to have some company?

Increasing your level of comfort with your coworkers can be achieved by constantly pushing yourself to new limits. Talk to folks you encounter frequently during work hours, such as in the break room, elevator, or water cooler. Begin brief discussions by making generic remarks or offering compliments to those you meet.

In time, others will begin to see that you are a person they can easily converse with. What matters is that you keep coming up and being there, not always saying the perfect thing. The more times you see someone, the more comfortable you become around them.

Meetings at work

For those who find meetings awkward, consider coming a few minutes before the scheduled start time. Instead of arriving late to avoid having to make small talk with the rest of the group, try arriving early so you don’t have to. This, on the other hand, will exacerbate your sense of loneliness.

In meetings, keep in mind that others may also be reluctant to speak up. It’s likely that at least half of the folks in your meeting feel the same way. If you are the first to talk, they are likely to be relieved and praise you for taking the initiative.

You may also want to look at the thoughts you have while in meetings to see whether they’re contributing to your nervousness. 

Could you think of something more constructive to replace it with? Try saying, “I’m working hard to improve my performance in meetings,” or “People are fine with the way I present myself in the workplace.” At first, these mantras may make you feel self-conscious, but they will help you gain confidence with time.