Social Anxiety: What It Is and How to Move Through It
Social Anxiety: What It Is and How to Move Through It
As a trauma informed therapist in California, I work with many adults who experience anxiety, trauma, and the impact of growing up feeling like they had to shrink themselves to be accepted. One form of anxiety I see often? Social anxiety—a deep fear of how others perceive us that can quietly shape the way we live, connect, and show up in the world.
Whether you’re struggling to speak up at work, avoid group hangouts, or just feel drained by social situations, social anxiety can be overwhelming. But it’s also something we can work with and move through—especially with the support of therapy for childhood trauma for adults.
What Is Social Anxiety?
Social anxiety is the fear of being judged, rejected, or embarrassed in social situations. It’s different from general anxiety in that the focus is almost always on other people’s perceptions. You might find yourself:
Avoiding events or public spaces
Sticking to familiar people to avoid awkwardness
Overthinking how you come across or replaying social interactions afterward
If you constantly second-guess yourself in conversations or worry about “messing up” socially, you’re not alone. And this isn’t just about shyness—social anxiety can feel all-consuming and isolating.
Long-Term Effects of Chronic Social Anxiety
Unchecked social anxiety doesn’t just affect your mind—it affects your body, your relationships, and your opportunities. Chronic stress increases the stress hormone called cortisol, which can lead to:
Fatigue and poor sleep
Migraines and digestive issues
Higher inflammation and burnout
Mentally, it keeps us in a cycle of avoidance. The less we go out or take risks, the less evidence we get that we’re capable and safe. This cycle reinforces itself and can lead to deeper isolation, loneliness, and even depression.
Why Exercise Helps
One of the most accessible tools we have for anxiety? Movement.
Exercise supports the nervous system, helps release excess energy, and grounds us in the body. Since social anxiety can feel like a mental storm, getting into your body through movement (even a walk!) can help ease that storm.
It also gives us real-world practice being in slightly uncomfortable settings. Whether it’s a group workout class or just walking into a gym, the more we put ourselves out there—and survive it—the more we teach the brain that it’s safe.
How to Work Through Social Anxiety
If social anxiety is getting in the way of how you want to live, connection and support are essential.
✨ Therapy for social anxiety, especially with a trauma-informed approach, can help uncover where this fear started. Many adults I work with in therapy for childhood trauma for adults in California find that their anxiety is deeply connected to early childhood experiences or feeling like they had to be “perfect” to be loved.
✨ Insight-oriented therapy allows us to explore the why, while exposure response prevention (ERP) helps you build confidence by gently facing the situations you’ve avoided and seeing that you can survive it.
✨ Adding self-regulation tools like mindfulness, breathing techniques (try the 5-6-7 method: inhale for 5, hold for 6, exhale for 7), and grounding practices can make a huge difference in feeling confident you can handle big emotions and fears.
Final Thoughts
If social anxiety has made you feel small, know this: it’s not about “fixing” yourself. It’s about reconnecting with who you really are underneath the fear—and learning that you’re allowed to take up space.
If you're seeking therapy for childhood trauma as an adult, or are looking for a trauma-informed therapist in Los Angeles or anywhere in California, I’d be honored to walk alongside you.
