Seven tips for party phobics: how to get through Christmas and New Year festivities
If you are scared of socialising, unsure of yourself in large groups and anxious about making small talk with strangers, then these tips from psychologists should help ease you into the festive season. You may even enjoy yourself
If you hate parties, the festive season can be more hellish than happy, so how do you manage when you can’t avoid being social? Experts provide pointers to navigate through party times safely, comfortably – and even have some fun.
Shared anxiety
Take solace in the fact you are not alone: social anxiety is the most common type of anxiety disorder, and the third largest mental health problem in the world. About 13 per cent of people will develop it at some point in their life, psychologist Dr Tess Browne says.
Browne, who runs her TalkSpace Psychology service out of Hong Kong’s Central Minds Clinic, says the anticipation can be even worse than being at a festive event.
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“Repeatedly thinking about the potential future negative outcomes of social interactions, which psychologists refer to as anticipatory rumination, can heighten emotional distress and physiological symptoms of anxiety, before even stepping foot in a party,” she says.