20 Ways to Overcome Shyness. Can you remember the last time you stepped into a room full of strangers and felt that self-conscious and awkward feeling rush over you? Or that heart thumping moment when you wanted to ask someone on a date, but were too shy to do so? Or wanting to approach someone for business, but was too hesitant to actually do it? That anxiety in the pit of your stomach in social situations? Does it always feel like something is holding you back? Regardless of whether you are introverted or extraverted, we can all relate to that feeling of shyness at some point in our lives. Socially, we tend to have the misconception that only introverts experience shyness, but that is not true.
Shyness has more to do with being uncomfortable with one’s self, especially around other people. This article is the result of collaboration between Amanda Linehan, an introvert, and Tina Su, an extravert. The Three Components of Shyness According to Dr. Can you relate? Why Do We Experience Shyness? 1. 2. 3. Photo by Lauren. Shyness: The New Solution. At the core of our existence as human beings lies a powerful drive to be with other people. There is much evidence that in the absence of human contact people fall apart physically and mentally; they experience more sickness, stress and suicide than well-connected individuals. For all too many people, however, shyness is the primary barrier to that basic need. For more than two decades, I have been studying shyness.
In 1995, in an article in with shyness pioneer Philip Zimbardo, Ph.D., I summed up 20 years of shyness knowledge and research, concluding that rates are rising. The thousands of responses we received have spawned a whole new generation of research and insight. The New View "My ex-wife picked me to marry her, so getting married wasn't a problem. Traditionally, shyness is viewed as an intrapersonal problem, arising within certain individuals as a result of characteristics such as excessive self-consciousness, low self-esteem and anticipation of rejection. The Cynically Shy. Shedding Shyness. The Upside Of Being An Introvert (And Why Extroverts Are Overrated) The Introvert's Corner.