Panic and social anxiety · worksheet 70
In social anxiety, attention turns inwards (“I’m blushing, I must look stupid”) and you protect yourself (preparing sentences, avoiding eye contact). Those protections keep the anxiety going. You can test what happens when you turn your attention towards other people.
Before you start
- What it is for: To understand what keeps your social anxiety going and to try another way of being with others.
- 10 minutes to prepare and a few minutes after the situation.
- In social anxiety, attention turns towards yourself: “does it show? am I red? what are they thinking?”. That increases anxiety and makes you miss the conversation.
- The “protections” (not looking, preparing sentences, gripping your glass tightly) seem to help, but they keep the fear going.
Prefer paper? Download the PDF to print (with a page for psychologists).
What to do with your results
Compare the situations with and without protections: anxiety is often similar, but the conversation goes better and others see you as more natural.
If you find it hard
Start with easy situations (asking for directions, ordering a coffee). If social anxiety is holding your life back a lot, talk about it: it responds very well to treatment.
For psychologists
The PDF also includes a page for the psychologist: how to run the exercise in session, points to watch and scientific references. You are free to use it with your clients.
For psychologists: aim, audience and duration
Help the person spot, in social situations, the excessive attention focused on themselves and the safety behaviours that maintain social anxiety, and test the effect of reducing them.
Social anxiety, shyness that holds you back, fear of other people’s judgement. Duration: 20 min in session; experiments between sessions.
References
Clark, D. M. & Wells, A. (1995). A cognitive model of social phobia. In R. G. Heimberg, M. R. Liebowitz, D. A. Hope & F. R. Schneier (Eds.), Social Phobia: Diagnosis, Assessment, and Treatment (pp. 69-93). Guilford.
Clark, D. A. & Beck, A. T. (2010). Cognitive Therapy of Anxiety Disorders: Science and Practice. Guilford.
These worksheets do not replace therapy. If you are in distress or having suicidal thoughts, call your local emergency number (112 in Europe; 3114 in France, free, 24/7).
Free worksheet for non-commercial use: you may share it with credit to the author, without modifying it (Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence).
