On Overthinker’s Almanac by Aaryan

If you believe that

little voice

is only in your head it’s time to think again.

The struggle is that no one knows how it’s affecting you, hence, reaching out for help is the key. 

I tend to notice that everyone’s perspective is different when it comes to social anxiety. The typical insight is that social anxiety is majorly public awkwardness. 

However, the true definition is revealed in the cracks, the deeper, less visible struggles, such as the paralyzing fear that people are criticizing or scrutinizing you when you’re not looking. 

To be truthful, social anxiety is something I still tend to struggle with today— that thought, telling you people don’t like you, driving your body into a sweat, leaving you trembling until you seize up. 

If I’m not believable then surely you’ll believe the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. A 2022 study shows that social anxiety, with an average onset at age 13, affects about one in 10 U.S. teens and adults. Lifetime prevalence for adults is 14% for males and 12% for females; for youth (13-17), it affects 11% of females and 6% of males. 

The sad part about it is that you won’t even be able to tell whether someone is going through this. 

The great Marcus Aurelius once said, “Today I escaped anxiety. Or no, I discarded it, because it was within me, in my perceptions—not outside”. 

Social anxiety isn’t something to be careless about. Those cracks within you start to widen the more you fear and the more you care what people think. It pains to not know, but as you’ve learned, curiosity kills the cat. 

Social anxiety is caustic to your self-worth, making you feel small. A stepping stone among giants. It fuels unwanted embarrassment over your unique self. 

The truth is simple: your self beliefs should matter more to you than external scrutiny.

Of course, if you think the root problem is the loneliness you experience, you are incredibly wrong. 

The worst part about this “disease” is that you miss out on the events that can help you, causing FOMO (fear of missing out). 

This is probably the worst aspect of having social anxiety.   I even experienced something like this when I had a swim meet once. I was invited to a birthday party the same day as my meet, and they overlapped in time. Because of my commitment to swim for my team, I missed the birthday party.  When I got home I checked social media and found pictures of everyone at the party.. I missed out on a fun time, one I could’ve had a memorable experience with, butI reminded myself that I had  something more important to attend. My coaches and teammates were counting on me, and I was counting on myself. That self-counsel  persuaded me to let go of my fear of having missed out on a social opportunity. 

Now if you don’t think this is enough to convince you then you’ll definitely be persuaded by a blog by a researcher a year ago at Shapo. He says  the numbers show that FOMO is very common, especially among younger people. In the U.S., 69% of people say they’ve experienced FOMO. As far back as 2013, 56% of social media users felt it. In Europe, 59% of teens in Poland and 67% of social media users in Italy have reported FOMO. 

Asking that question, stating that remark, or statement they know can help boost their success, lingering on their mind, the tip of their tongue, waiting to be unleashed out into the world of thoughts, but chained like Prometheus, the constant pecking of doubt ripping the idea’s process inside out, only to regenerate that thought again in chains. 

The fear of missing out constantly battles with our true priorities, yet it always falls short of influencing what truly matters.

Now that we’ve gotten past the general problems, let’s focus on the deeper-rooted aspects of social anxiety, the worst being missing out on the most influential and important things in your life. 

I happened to have a friend who has experienced the full blown effect of this as he was too scared to try out for his school soccer team, hearing that the conditioning of the trials was grueling.. 

He ultimately missed out on being a part of a good soccer team. He missed new experiences with the team and meeting people who could influence his life. 

Anxiety cost him a lot.

A study conducted in 2020 showcases that the global prevalence of social anxiety was found to be significantly higher than previously reported, with more than 1 in 3 (36%) respondents meeting the threshold criteria for having Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). 

The prevalence and severity of social anxiety symptoms did not differ between sexes but varied as a function of age, country, work status, level of education, and whether an individual lived in an urban or rural location. 

This study reveals that social anxiety  is caused by numerous factors, but there’s one thing you need to know: social anxiety  isn’t permanent—it’s quite the opposite. 

This social malady be beaten, but you have to try and overcome it. Take these steps with you: 

• Smile at people.  Of course not in a creepy manner, but with a genuine smile. 
• Engage in a conversation. But don’t prepare your responses beforehand and struggle to be social. Let your body and mouth flow the way it does when you get excited about something. 
• Never stop trying. This is the most important step. Afterall, the whole point of me telling you these things is to help you try and fix your anxiousness. 

Now without trying, what’s the point of reading this blog? All I can say now is good luck . . . because you are important.

A giant among others.

That voice in your head? It’s but a past echo of the struggle you dealt with—and overcame.