Renewal

Renewal, in our case, means keeping social anxiety in check through regular social interactions and exposure exercises. Seeking new, exciting activities is also part of the plan. In this application, we’re going to combine the three above-mentioned elements (social interaction, exposure, and new activities) into one specific goal. The whole point of this application is to build an active social life which will give rise to new opportunities. Slowly but surely, social anxiety will become a thing of the past. 

Social Interaction

This isn’t something completely new! If you remember, social interaction was the main goal of Application 3. Now, we’re just going to take it a step further. Instead of meeting with one friend/relative, you’ll meet with several people at once. Plus, they don’t necessarily have to be friends or family members. You should also invite people with whom you’re not that close. For example: co-workers, neighbors, classmates. Last but not least, it should be a minimum of 4 individuals (including you).  

Exposure

As you probably figured out by now, this entire plan is actually an exposure exercise and also a chance to practice your social skills. Since we’re not focusing solely on exposure therapy, you can either set specific goals or just ‘go with the flow’. There’s no need for further explanations here. Just follow the instructions mentioned in our previous articles. 

New Activities/Places 

This is one of the most crucial aspects of this application. Besides interacting with several people, you also have to try new places and activities. People who deal with social anxiety are not just afraid of social interaction, they’re also afraid of new activities. This is the main reason why you have to choose a new place/activity. Last but not least, be completely open to suggestions. Others might not enjoy a certain activity, in which case you can negotiate until you reach common grounds.