by Zoe Ball kept the nation entertained for three hours every weekday while organizing the BBC Radio 2 breakfast show, but the 54-year-old DJ announced that she has to struggle with a very familiar fear: “really bad” social fear.
When Ball maintained with Jo during the debut episode of her new podcast in the debut episode of her new podcast, Ball admitted and admitted that she was often looking for reasons when she approaches.
“You speak of being difficult to go to parties. I am really bad social fear. My brother has it too,” she said. “And when an event is due, be it Glastonbury or a wedding or a party, I’m always in the back of my mind and try to think about an excuse that I can’t go.”
Ball said she rely on certain strategies to cope with her fear: “You don’t want to reach for a drink, because then it just makes it worse. So it’s about taking a deep breath and finding someone with whom you can talk because I am really bad in small talk.”
While the experience of the ball has agreed and realized that social fear can increase with age, especially during menopause. “This is what we have to recognize,” said the 60-year-old DJ. “I have friends who are a similar age and I think they go through menopause. Then they feel pretty vulnerable – they don’t have the same trust that they had when they were younger.
“Very often you don’t have a group of girls or partners near you, so you come alone, and that’s hard.”
How to overcome social fear
Social fear is very normal. In fact, data from the British Association for Counseling and Psychotherapy (BACP) show that more than 54% of the United States experience this.
Advisor Georgina Stormer assures us that there are many simple strategies that can help.
Delicate yourself
“If we feel anxious, it is a great way to eliminate our emotional threat. This could lead to it helping at a party or is dealing with something,” says Stormer.
It is a strategy that gets going with a ball and says that she often feels more comfortable when she plays a role that she can concentrate on.
“I like it very much if I will appear with something and say people: ‘Can you keep an eye on the little ones?’ I am like: “Yes, great. “Let me go and sort out the ice, let me put the salads out, give me something to do.”
Search for someone safely
Ball says she often looks for a familiar face at a party to avoid small talk, another strategy that the consultant recommends.
“Look at the people, places or objects that represent calm or security. Will you be available during the event or excursion? If not, can you reach you by phone or carry an object with you that remind you of your presence?” Asks Stormer.
Start the disaster
“Think about the situation and map the underlying fears that cause your catastrophe,” says Stormer. She recommends identifying these thoughts and fears and challenging how rational they really are.
Avoid triggers like alcohol
During the podcast, Ball announced that she avoids alcohol in social situations as this can increase her fear. She previously talked about her past fights and revealed that it is often due to feelings of shyness.
Stormer recommends that people in social situations avoid all triggers: “This will be different for all of us. It could be caffeine, alcohol, doomscrolling or even certain people. Management of this trigger can help you to keep a feeling of control.”
Find your coping mechanisms out
Stormer explains that it is important to have coping strategies that are most helpful when we integrate them into daily life, not only when we feel fearful.
“So it could be helpful to think about breathing and grounding practices,” she says. “I only recommend five finger breathing so that they develop paths to regulate with fear.”
What causes social fear?
“When we talk about social fears, we refer to a number of fears and worries that can make us anxious when we think socialized or think about social considerations,” says Stormer, adding that there are a variety of possible causes of social fear.
“It could be a strong inner critic who tells us that we are not good enough -what is increasing when we think about seeing other people,” explains Stormer. “It could be related to a feeling of sensory overload that accompanies the idea of being on the way.”
Long -term effects of pandemic
Stormer says that the social fear of some people could also be associated with Covid’s heir, “when we all told us that the world was an insecure place.”
This insulted with the BACP research mentioned above, which was carried out in March. It showed:
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Over one of three (39%) was happier during the Lockdown than they had to interact with others socially
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About one of three (31%) has been anxious in social situations since pandemic, with this in young people to 47% (16 to 24 years)
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32% believe that pandemic has negatively influenced its social skills and its communication skills
Is CBT helpful?
According to Stormer, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is helpful if you like to dive deeply into your negative thought patterns.
She says: “The therapy can be helpful for social anxiety, and different modalities – or therapeutic approaches – will work in different ways. CBT focuses on the negative thoughts behind the fear, while psychodynamic or integrative approaches may immerse yourself in different ways in the basic causes of fear.”
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