There’s a distinct difference between being quiet and being shy. When you’re quiet, you know you have the option to speak, but you just choose not to do so. But when you’re shy, you’re plagued by discomfort, worry, or even anxiety in social situations.
No matter how shy you think you are, there are ways to train yourself to overcome this barrier. While you won’t turn into a social butterfly overnight, you can become a more confident person.
Another benefit of overcoming your shyness is that, without that timidity, you tend to take advantage of new opportunities that come your way.
These tips and tricks will help you conquer shyness:
1. Accept your personality. It’s truly important for you to accept yourself for the person that you are. You can never be anyone but you. If you’re a quiet person from time to time, so be it. There is just as much beauty in the personality of a quiet person as there is in an outgoing person.
2. Put yourself out there. When you’re shy, you’re more likely to avoid social situations altogether. This only makes the problem worse. If you make the effort to participate, you’ll become more comfortable in every social gathering.
- Take small steps, but take action to step out of your comfort zone.
3. Avoid running away. Even if you’re feeling especially awkward and anxiety ridden, get through the situation as best as you can.
- Afterwards, you can evaluate what you went through so you can grow from it. Ask yourself why you felt the way you did and see if you can correct the problem for next time.
4. Learn to relax. When you’re feeling shy, your mind begins to race. You might be thinking about all the things that can go wrong and you’ll find it impossible to relax. Instead of thinking about what might happen, concentrate on the present and on what actually is happening.
- If you begin to panic, use relaxation and breathing techniques to calm yourself down.
5. Practice your social skills. If you’re shy in social situations, try to practice your communication and social skills in non-threatening environments, such as with family or close friends. This will take away some of the scary “unknowns” that might be causing you to be afraid.
6. Use visualizations. Visualizations can be very powerful. They can help you relax and get past the anxiety associated with shyness.
- Close your eyes and think about yourself in a situation where you’d normally feel shy or panicky. Instead of feeling overwhelmed with negative emotions, visualize yourself as completely confident and happy.
7. Focus on someone else. Place all of your focus on the person you’re sharing a conversation with. Really listen to what they’re saying. If your energy is focused away from how you feel, you’ll be less likely to be overtaken with the feelings of shyness.
- It may also help you to encourage the other person to do more of the talking. Use open-ended questions where they can launch into a whole story or explanation instead of just answering yes or no questions.
Shyness is a combination of fears and feelings that are reinforced by habits. Use these strategies to help you change your habits and your feelings of shyness will dissipate along with the old habits!
When you equip your children a positive outlook, you’re setting them up for a happy and successful life.
Don’t believe me?
Well, who do you think would be most successful?
a) The person who believes he can achieve anything, become whomever he wants, and follows up with swift action, or:
b) The person who complains about anything, is indifferent about everything, and gets nothing done out of feelings of hopelessness.
Obvious, huh?
You see, children have such an amazing ability to learn. They’re babies one day, and the next they’re learning language and life skills at a rate much faster than any adult can. This gives us, as parents, a very important and sometimes overwhelming duty: to teach our children every day.
There are many things you can do each day to foster a positive outlook in your kids, but having a positive outlook yourself is the most important thing you can do to help your children grow. Let them know they make a positive difference in your life and love them unconditionally.
Keep the following tips in mind to help your children develop a positive outlook:
1. Lead by example. From a young age, your children pick up on more than you know. While you may live by the notion that you should always put your kids first, you also have to concentrate on your own self-development. Because, when you think positively, so will your kids.
2. Watch your reactions. Just as with leading by example, you must watch your reactions, especially when things go awry. If someone gets hurt or you learn some bad news, fight the urge to have a negative reaction. If you yell or outwardly worry, you’ll affect your children.
- Teach your children that sometimes things don’t go our way, but eventually the tides will turn.
3. Find the silver lining in challenges. As your children learn and develop, they’ll be faced with all sorts of challenges. Some of them will be easy, while others are more challenging. Be sure to point out the silver lining in any challenge your child may be facing. It’ll help them to see your point of view when they’re facing challenges alone.
4. Help them change their thinking. When you’re child is in the midst of a tough challenge, he may bring up the idea of giving up. Do your best to bring wisdom to the situation to know when your child simply needs to be pushed further. Perhaps there’s an angle to the problem that your child hasn’t tried yet.
- Nudge them in the right direction until they find the success they seek.
5. Promote laughter. Laughter breeds happiness and positive feelings. Your children will each have a unique sense of humor. Play into your child’s humorous side by promoting situations that your child finds funny.
- You can play games, go to shows, or simply have a good time together as a family.
A Happy Healthy Home
When you remember to treat your children in a calm and loving manner, they’ll be more likely to do the same. If your child tends to panic, don’t scold them for this behavior. Put them at ease as best as you can and show them that there’s a solution to their problem. If you panic, the situation may spiral into an unhealthy cycle.
In the end, there’s no right or wrong way to raise your kids. Do what’s best for your family in the way you know how. When you maintain a happy and healthy home, your children will learn to have hope and think positively!
