Going to university is an exciting time in life. It can also be difficult, particularly if you experience social anxiety.

Social anxiety is an overwhelming fear of social situations that goes beyond shyness.

 According to the NHS, symptoms can include:

• Worrying about everyday things like meeting strangers, starting conversations, and speaking on the phone
• Avoiding or worrying about social activities, like group conversations and parties
• Being afraid of being criticised, watched, or doing something you believe to be embarrassing
• Feeling nauseous, sweating, trembling, or experiencing heart palpitations or panic attacks

Fortunately there are ways to tackle social anxiety when you’re at university, allowing you to enjoy the experience more fully and cope with your feelings head on. Here are three things which can help.

 

1. Share your worries with friends and family
It’s easy to think that everyone else feels totally comfortable in social situations, but that’s not often the case. We all have our insecurities and lots of people worry about how they’ll come across to others. If you bring this topic up with friends and family, you might be surprised by just how many of them have had similar experiences to your own.

Additionally, sharing an issue you’re facing with people you trust can be a healthy way to deal with it. Instead of keeping it bottled up inside, you’re being listened to and supported, which can help in itself. Saying your thoughts out loud is also a way to rationalise them and make sense of how you’re feeling.

 

2. Get support from your university
 Each university has services available to students who need help and support. General wellbeing services cover everything from mental health to finances and accommodation, while more specific mental health services may provide treatment like counselling.

Counselling is a type of talking therapy, carried out by a trained therapist. The therapist will help you by listening to you explain your problem, then finding ways for you to address it. Their job is not to judge you or tell you what to do – it’s to help you better understand your feelings and find solutions yourself.

 

3. Avoid isolating yourself
It’s tempting to avoid the social situations you worry about. However, while this might bring short-term relief, in the long run it can make it even more difficult to go out of your comfort zone and carry out everyday activities.

You don’t have to be the life and soul of the party. But it’s worth finding activities to do outside of lectures and seminars. The great thing about university life is that there is normally a tonne of clubs and societies to join, across all sorts of activities and hobbies. You’re able to find like-minded people and since you already have something in common, you’ll often find the conversation is able to flow.

You can find your university’s clubs and societies at Freshers’ Fair, and they are often listed on the university’s website too.

Social anxiety can be tricky to deal with, but university offers a great opportunity to tackle it and grow as a person. You might surprise yourself.