The harmful effects of shyness on social relationships

Shyness is a human feeling of fear, loss of self-control and discomfort in social situations. For example, meeting and talking with strangers makes you nervous, scared or even sweaty and while chatting you are always worried that the other person will think bad things about you.
Shyness can vary in intensity. Some people experience mild anxiety and fear that can be easily overcome. Others experience extreme fear of social situations and can lead to negative consequences such as inability to participate in social activities, anxiety and even depression.
About 15% of babies are born with a tendency to be shy. Research from scientists shows that there are biological differences in the brains of shy people. Besides, shyness is also affected by daily life and communication. Accordingly, children with shyness often develop through interactions with their parents. Authoritarian or overly protective parents can make children shy. Kids who don't get to experience everything can have a hard time developing social skills. Instead, parents should allow their children to communicate, care about their feelings, and parenting will help them feel more comfortable when interacting with friends and strangers.
Family, living environment, school and culture are all factors that shape a child. The connections that children make in this network will play an important role in their personality development and their ability to communicate and speak. Parents' shyness is also one of the causes of children's shyness.
For adults, often critical work environments and situations of public shame are the cause of shyness.

Fear and anxiety are the main factors of shyness. As for kids, not all kids who play happily alone are shy. The first sign of shyness in children may be that they never leave their parents. In addition, children who have difficulty making friends should be assessed for shyness; Children who have been victims of bullying, neglect and neglect are at high risk of developing shyness.
Unlike other emotional disorders, shyness does not usually lead to angry, aggressive or violent behaviour. Therefore, the diagnosis of this condition in children can be made through games such as chess, word puzzles or can use puppets, dolls to help children open their hearts.

Friends and social relationships are the heart and soul in human life, because they make your life better and are the conditions for achieving success in both work and life. The harmful effects of shyness are reflected in the fact that they reduce people's ability to work and communicate, as well as prevent the formation of social relationships. So, shyness negatively affects quality of life and success at work.
Overcoming shyness helps you to overcome your fears about social situations and create desirable relationships. Like anything else, it won't be easy at first to practice overcoming shyness, but it will become easier as you develop a plan and methodically move forward.

Learning to be less shy and building strong social relationships can help boost your confidence and reduce stress. Some ways to get rid of shyness are as follows:

Many people often assume that shyness, social anxiety, and introversion are the same. However, these are actually completely different health conditions.
Social anxiety involves a persistent fear of rejection, disapproval, or criticism from others. This fear can become overwhelming and cause people to begin to avoid social settings altogether. Social anxiety is considered a mental health condition; Shyness is a personality trait. Shy people may feel uncomfortable and afraid to meet and work with new people, but they will find it easier to talk and interact when they become familiar. Shyness does not necessarily lead to the intense suffering that social anxiety causes and is not considered a mental health condition.

Discovering and developing your own strengths is the factor that helps you truly shine, thereby helping to promote self-confidence, reduce feelings of inferiority and insecurity. It can take time to open up and develop your strengths, but trust that you can do well and overcome your shyness.

Relaxing breathing is a great way to calm your nerves against stress, fear or events. Dr. Patricia - a clinical psychologist commented that: "Relaxing breathing is a way to help you calm your fear without letting anyone know". Besides, this method also helps to reduce the body's production of the stress hormone cortisol.
Practice relaxation breathing whenever you feel shy or anxious by inhaling deeply and holding for 4-5 seconds, then exhaling through your mouth. Repeat this movement 4-5 times and keep your mind relaxed, do not think about anything while performing the movement.

Greeting and starting a conversation with a stranger while riding on the bus or jogging together ... is one of the ways to overcome shyness. Don't worry too much when the conversation doesn't go as well as you'd like, it's important that you keep reminding yourself "I can do this" and practice them.
Scientist Rodebaugh pointed out: “Try to treat conversations as experiments. Find out how you like to interact with others and how others react to you. Initial conversations are the beginning of a friendship.”

Sharing your fears and seeking support from people you trust like family and friends can help you feel more comfortable in the most frightening situations. Of course, you can't rely on someone all the time, but this method is intended to help you gradually adapt and feel ready to face those situations alone.
Support from loved ones will help you make positive comments as well as negative things that need to be corrected. Besides, interacting with loved ones is another useful way to help you practice communication skills.

If you are shy, casual conversations can also stress you out. Even if you have a lot to say on a particular topic, your thoughts and worries about how others in the conversation will see you can spur insights or witty comments on the topic. out of your head.
Instead of worrying about what others think of you, you need to learn to focus on the flow of the conversation. This will make it easier for you to recognize when to share your thoughts more naturally and to overcome fear, shame, and anxiety.

Some shy people mask social interactions with a mask of “fake confidence”. But this doesn't work out for all people and situations, and displaying audacity that you don't really feel can make you worry about being seen through.
Instead, it's perfectly okay to admit that you're nervous or let people know that you want to get into the conversation at your own pace. People may even appreciate the effort you put in, and positive reactions from others can definitely boost your confidence.
Always ignore lies, even if you think lying will make conversations go well.

Skipping activities and socializing often feels a lot safer than trying your best to make friends and failing; Avoiding people can help protect you from rejection. However, the flip side of these is that you have to face loneliness, limiting your ability to develop work and life.
So expand your social circle by expanding your relationships, exploring hobbies like hiking, dancing, cooking... through classes, community events or There are even apps that can help you find potential friends and partners with similar interests.

Shyness is seen as a part of personality but not a mental health condition. However, it can lead to unwanted distress over time. In the event that you cannot find a way to help you reduce anxiety and fear in social situations, it is advisable to consult a doctor.
Your doctor may give you the following instructions:
Manage your physical symptoms; Learn the causes of shyness; Identify social anxieties and other concerns; Develop strategies to help reduce anxiety when entering social situations. Shyness can have negative effects on building social relationships as well as self-confidence. Therefore, developing measures and strategies to help reduce shyness is an important factor in building social relationships, success in work and life.
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References: healthline.com, webmd.com