Do you feel nervous in situations where you will be meeting new people? Do you find yourself wishing you had more friends? How much does your shyness bother you or interfere with your life? Do people misinterpret your shyness as a sign of aloofness or a snobby attitude?
Nearly everyone sometimes feels shy:
Before making an important announcement
When you want to make a good impression on someone
When raising a delicate issue with someone in a position of authority
When you have to make a complaint, etc.
Many people across the world describe themselves as shy. They are concerned that people will look at them, evaluate them, and judge them poorly. They fear rejection.
In many cases, people are unhappy with this trait. Shyness prevents them from doing things they would like to be able to do, such as getting out and making new friends, assuming greater positions of responsibility at work. They would like to change things so that they wouldn’t have to feel like this.
Shyness refers to feeling awkward or uncertain in social situations. It is associated with self-consciousness, excessive monitoring of behavior and over-rehearsal of potential statements. For many people, making small talk, asking other people for directions, saying hello to a neighbor – is very difficult. They want desperately to participate in conversation, but feel ill-equipped to do so. They feel frustrated, alienated and excluded. They hesitate, can’t be spontaneous in speech, and don’t express opinions. Shy people are often erroneously considered rude or aloof.
Shyness is also related to perfectionism, desire to please others, sensitivity to criticism, fear of rejection, suggestibility, difficulty relaxing, and frequent worry.
This course will be useful for anyone who is troubled by shyness and experiences difficulties when interacting with other people. It will provide you with sufficient information about shyness and offer a variety of strategies to overcome it. You will develop a better understanding of the problem and learn practical skills to deal with shyness.
The course includes the following topics:
Developing social skills
Building self-esteem
How to cope with the challenges posed by shyness
Enhancing your social effectiveness
Understand yourself better
How to get rid of feelings of inferiority
How does shyness develop and what keeps it going
How to deal with embarrassment
How to reduce self-consciousness
How to stop monitoring your behavior
How to build up confidence
How to change thinking patterns
How to deal with underlying beliefs and assumptions
How to become more assertive
Are introverts shy? Shyness and introversion
What causes people to be shy?
Situations that elicit shyness
Feeling out of place in social encounters
Why are perfectionists shy?
Negative consequences of being shy
Is shyness a positive trait?
Shyness over the phone
Social clumsiness
Shy person’s strategies for coping
Attitudes toward shy people
Shyness and cultural messages
The fear of being disliked
Fear of disapproval and rejection
Shyness and your body-image
Feeling inferior to others
How to socialize naturally
Challenging your negative thoughts
Low self-esteem. What to do about it?
How to communicate effectively. Improving communication skills
Dealing with criticism
Understanding social rules and conventions
Improving your conversation skills
How to be and act genuine
