Episode 05: 2 Tried and True Ways to Combat Socially Anxious Thoughts

Ok, so we all agree that making friends was easier when we were younger. We were spoon fed neighborhood friends, teammates, fellow band members. Then comes college and you start from scratch. Last week we talked about the 5 ways students can struggle to make friends, and/or to keep them once they do. 

In a follow-up to Episode 4, we narrow in one of the most common friendship obstacles: worry thoughts. Two college students open up about the anxious thoughts they experience in friendships. You’ll hear them talk about:

• Self-judgements (“I’m too shy.”)

• fear of rejection (“I’ve never shown myself 100% to people.”)

• indecision about which friend group to focus on (“sorority vs. freshman dorm crew?”)

Based on their stories, we offer two ways to notice, manage and reduce socially anxious thoughts. You can challenge them, and if that doesn’t work then you can “unhook” from them. You’ll hear us offer tips to our guests directly throughout the episode, but if you want to skip straight to the skill, skip to 24:25.