Easter can be an anxious time for many people so if you are reading this post and have social phobia, congratulations, you survived it.

Times when family and friends get together can be seen as difficult for those of us, like me, who are shy or suffer from social phobia.  Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving,  major birthdays (like 21st and 40th) can be difficult to face, not only if you are anxious because of a phobia, but also because many families fight during these times.   I prefer to spend time with my mother, partner, children and grandchildren,  the people I am comfortable with.

This is natural to feel that way but remember, if you suffer from social phobia you need to keep practicing being social or it will again become difficult.  They say practice makes perfect and in this case they are right.  In regard to the family fights, just stay out of it and stay calm if possible, and if that all fails think about giving them a big miss.  See the family individually instead.

I had a party to go to and a wedding just recently so I got to practice my social skills.  If you face the fear of socializing and having a panic attack then you will learn to overcome it for good.  There is no way I am going to allow myself to slip back from what I have achieved.  Don’t let it happen to you.

How well did you do this last Easter season?

Shyness can often stop us from communicating the way we would like to.   If you suffer from social phobia this can be a problem in your life.  There are a few things you can do though to improve your conversational skills.

Here are five tips to help you start:

1.  Listen
Listening to what the other person is saying is important and often difficult when nervous as we are concentrating on what we are going to say next, but by listening, this will help you, as you can ask questions and this will add to the conversation without you having to worry.

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