Here’s what actually causes social anxiety (and how to overcome it)

Here's how you can conquer those totally natural conversational worries.
Many people are afraid of things without good reason. Phobias– irrational fears such as a fear of spiders or enclosed spaces – are commonplace and familiar. 

They’re deemed irrational because the average person in the modern world has little or nothing to fear from such things. 

Unfortunately, the instincts and subconscious processes that influence and guide our thinking and behaviour run on much older programming. We instinctively fear certain things because we evolved in environments where they were a threat. So much so that ancient fear instincts, expressed in modern, rational contexts, can disrupt mental functioning and well-being.

Hence phobias are anxiety disorders.But while familiar, arachnophobia and claustrophobia aren’t the most common phobias. 

Public speaking, talking on the phone, meeting new people, asking someone out… So many people are irrationally terrified of these objectively harmless actions that social anxiety isn’t just the most common class of phobia, it’s one of the most common mental disorders.

But why? Humans are arguably the most sociable species ever. So if we’re so friendly and keen on interaction, why do so many of us fear this exact thing?

To answer, we need to understand why humans are so social in the first place.

Read this article, then jump into the discussion below to share your feelings and thoughts on the subject:  www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/social-anxiety-rise-above