Dealing with Shyness Shyness is feeling uncomfortable in social situations in ways that interfere with our ability to enjoy ourselves, to perform at the level we’re capable of or that cause us to avoid social situations altogether. Here are some techniques to deal with shyness: j Retreat: Leave the situation temporarily until anxiety subsides. k Talk to another person: Redirect nervousness and conversation to someone you are not trying to impress. l Move around: Force your body to move. This will get rid of excess energy that nervousness creates. m Perform a simple repetitive activity: Distract your attention by focusing on a task that requires simple, repetitive action (eg: chewing gum, squeezing a ball etc.). n Do something that requires focused concentration: Focus all of your attention on a task that demands your full concentration (eg: reading a book, multiplying numbers in your head etc.). o Deep breathing: Take slow, deep breaths and exhale slowly. Repeat five times. p Repeat positive statement: When you catch negative statements creeping into your thoughts, quickly replace them with positive statements (eg: Negative thought — "he/she probably doesn’t think I’m handsome/pretty/intelligent enough." Positive thought — "If he/she didn’t think I am impressive, he/she wouldn’t be looking my way."