How to Avoid Stress When You Meet New People?
Did you know anxiety is currently the number one mental health problem in North America? According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), it’s estimated that close to 15 million adults in America experience social anxiety.
With the wide adoption of the internet in our daily lives, the nature of communication has changed significantly in the 21st century. Even though it may seem that online communication helps to reduce social anxiety in the short term (thanks to anonymity), but, in reality, it can undermine your confidence to communicate with others outside of the online context in the long term – based on the results from years of research on this topic.
Have you ever felt nervous before meeting that stranger from the social networking app you have been using lately? Or nervous before the interview for the new job? You are not alone! I’ve had the same feelings before I got to thinking about how unproductive and toxic they are.
This article will help you understand how normal it is to experience social anxiety in such situations and how you can overcome it. In no time, you will have more confidence and will be able to meet new people with a wide smile on your face.
Experiencing social anxiety is quite normal, especially if you are meeting someone new or starting a new job. Here are some useful tips for you to deal with it successfully.
Tip #1: Use Meditation As The Failproof Tool
Based on the research studies conducted by Johns Hopkins University, meditation can be used as a reliable tool to help ease off stress and anxiety. The best part? You don’t need anything external to experience this relief!
So, whenever you need to ground yourself and find a sense of calm within yourself, just sit back, relax, and take a deep breath in. It would work better if meditation is included in your daily routine. Decide when it’s more comfortable for you, in the morning before going to the office or in the evening to prepare yourself for the next day before going to sleep.
If you are new to meditations, simply sit down, close your eyes, and watch your breaths go in and out. Within no time, you will feel your stress is greatly reduced and you no more feel as anxious as before. Great, isn’t it?
Wondering what else can make you feel more confident about meeting that stranger from the online forums or recruiter from social media? The next tip will help you handle that.
Tip #2: Learn More About Your Vis-a-vis
Most people feel anxious about meeting a new person face to face since they don’t really have their background details yet. In their mind, the other person could potentially be a criminal or a sex offender. But would it help if you could have more information about them with just a tap on the screen away? Sure, it will!
So, if you have their contact details or at least name, you can easily find out more about them and their interests using reverse phone lookup services or checking up their social media accounts. Being sure who you are about to meet in person is a genuine individual can ease the social anxiety that has been crawling up on you lately.
Ready for our next tip? Here it comes!
Tip #3: Be Genuine
Without a doubt, it’s important to be yourself in a situation when you are meeting new people. Why? Because it helps you stay grounded and lets you put your real self out in front of them. So, here’s a simple mind hack to help you overcome the fear of rejection: Keep it real!
If you feel nervous about that first meeting, let them know! Be upfront and honest about it. And if they don’t like you, they don’t deserve to be friends with you anyways! It’s better to be yourself and not always find “your people” than wear a mask and try hard to make people like you for that.
Thinking this way can give you a boost of confidence whenever you need it the most. As soon as you start practicing this, you will notice your attitude towards meeting strangers has changed completely.
Conclusion
There you go! You have our top 3 tips to overcome social anxiety and phobia when meeting strangers. Once you learn to follow these suggestions, you will no more fear striking up a conversation with your online pals when you talk to them face to face for the first time. These tips are easy to apply in such situations, without fail!
So, in summary, give meditation a try, look up for more info about the person you are meeting, and keep it real! Combined together, these tips will help overcome stress and anxiety while giving you the boost of confidence you need.
Bio:
Olga Andriichuk works as the content manager at Spokeo. Her field of expertise includes business, marketing, and personal growth. In her spare time, she enjoys yoga classes and exploring new destinations.
