Baby Steps

[amy88]

I have tried to push myself a little in the last few days with just getting out and being a bit more social. It probably doesn't sound like much, but when I have been out for my walks with my dog I've made a deliberate point to say good morning to strangers. It's funny how when I say it, and I get a smile and a "good morning!" back from people, it really boosts my confidence. I guess little by little it's helping me. I had to go to my phone company yesterday to sort out a billing issue, and I felt so much more able to tackle dealing with a face to face interaction from the small "good mornings" I've been saying to people.


Probably doesn't sound like much - but it's progress for me!

 

[Panic57]

Good job on taking a proactive approach to being more social. I've had to do a similar thing to keep the people close to me in my life. But it never fails that meeting with friends or saying hello to strange builds a little confidence. Sometimes If i find it's easier to start a conversation with a stranger because if it goes bad you can leave and they don't know who you are. At least that's what I mentally tell myself. Good luck with your progress!

 

[amy88]

Good job on taking a proactive approach to being more social. I've had to do a similar thing to keep the people close to me in my life. But it never fails that meeting with friends or saying hello to strange builds a little confidence. Sometimes If i find it's easier to start a conversation with a stranger because if it goes bad you can leave and they don't know who you are. At least that's what I mentally tell myself. Good luck with your progress!

That's true - I have to remind myself that if I'm in a situation where someone will never see me again then it shouldn't matter if I am anxious - so I should just try!


I feel like some days are easier than others. The last couple of days I have felt good and interactions seem easier. On a bad day though it's hard to remind myself to be positive and just try. Hoping though that I just stay on this good track and build on it.

 

[Alex]

Baby steps are so important, because it is better than taking a step back. I've had a couple of relapses in the past and it takes a lot to get back to how you were, and that is only achieved with baby steps.


It doesn't matter what others think, it's about how you feel. At times you are in your own bubble, and there was a time it was an achievement to do the laundry. As for people around you, having a dog is great as people will smile and be friendly and you are also not alone. I know when I have walked dogs with friends or for them other dog walkers always make an effort to interact and it's nice and short and I am sure in time you may seem some regulars and build up a friendship on the dog walking paths.

 

[pwarbi]

As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't matter on the speed of the progress a person is making, as long as their is some progress there. Even taking the baby steps and taking things slowly can be hard for a lot of people and I think it's important to be able to look at the here and now, maybe a few days or a few weeks into the future rather than looking at long term goals in the beginning of recovery. While we all need those long term goals, at the start we need to be able to get through today, tomorrow, make it to the end of the week and by taking things one step at a time, them long term goals that we have set ourselves will slowly become nearer without us having to think too much about it.

 

[fuzyon]

Baby steps is the way to go for most people, there are some exceptions that manage to get rid of social anxiety in a couple of weeks for example, but we shouldn't think of them as the standard. I and a lot of people have been battling anxiety for years and we're still not in a good place. Take it slow, understand the lessons you'll get taught by this battle and use all the negative thoughts and influences in your advantage, it's crucial to pull through this.

 

[Sue]

You are stepping out of your comfort zone which is great. One step at a time no matter how small the steps are you are moving in a more positive direction. I am proud of you. I know how difficult it is to make those changes. What some might not think anything of is a big deal for people like us who suffer with SA. Keep up the good work, you are doing just fine.

 

[bradleyfam10]

Thank you for this post about your progress, "baby steps". I have bad anxiety when it comes to socializing and try to avoid it at all cost. I think I will try this method. I wish I had more confidence when it came to talking to other people, so maybe this could help me as well. I think you are pretty brave for taking those steps and finding confidence in yourself to do that.

 

[sidney]

Good job in taking baby steps to get rid of your anxiety! Now that you're more comfortable in greeting people, why don't you step it up a bit and try to make small talk if possible with strangers? If you try to do that regularly, you will get used to facing and interacting with people that you won't even notice how anxious you were before.