If you are suffering from social anxiety, you know how it will feel. Imagine you are out with your friends or co-workers, and you can feel your heart racing. Suddenly, you are too overwhelmed to start a conversation. This is social anxiety and can take place anywhere.
With social anxiety comes social phobia. This restricts you from everyday activities with the fear of being judged negatively, resulting in smaller interactions.
If you are looking for a way to cope with social anxiety, you can do so by reading books. Once you begin reading, you will start thinking, and it will make you feel safe.
10 Self Help Books That Can Treat Your Social Anxiety
1. Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook
The revised and updated third edition of the workbook is advanced with new research and techniques for overcoming social phobia. This book has a new addition, a chapter based on mindful treatments with updated information on medications. Once the reader completes the activities in this workbook, they can learn to find their strengths and weaknesses using self-evaluation. They can explore and examine their fears, create personalized plans for the changes, and execute their plan. After completing the program, they will be able to make connections with the people around them.
Buy this book if…
- You are prepared to work out to reduce your anxiety; this workbook is not a storybook. Exercising will help you adjust your level of thought and help you come out of your comfort zone.
- You like to the point and actionable advice based on scientific facts.
Don’t buy this book if….
- You are more focused on low self-esteem.
- If you want to avoid the workbook format but want something, you can glance through.
2. How To Be Yourself
When you are assigned to complete an assignment for your college degree, you are depressed. There are two ways to reduce your level of anxiety. Either you can hire services like assignment help in Galway or Ireland or read a book on reducing anxiety to seek help from your peers. This book, written by Dr. Ellen Hendriksen, weaves together cutting-edge science, concrete tips, and the compelling stories of real people who have risen above their social anxiety. The author proposes the idea that people have everything that is required to succeed in any unfamiliar social situation.
She has devoted her career to helping her clients overcome the same obstacles through which she has faced. With familiarity, humour, and authority, the author takes the reader through the roots of social anxiety and why it endures, the way people can rewrite their brains through their behaviour, and the ways to quiet the inner critic whispering that everyone will judge you. Using her techniques to develop confidence, think through the buzz of anxiety, and feel comfortable in any situation, you can become true authentic self.
Buy this book if…
You have a negative self-image or low self-esteem.
Don’t buy this book if…
You are looking for some exercises to overcome your shyness or anxiety in social settings with less focus on low self-esteem.
3. Social Anxiety
The book by James Williams highlights the different aspects of social anxiety and social phobia in adults and children. It includes the evolution of terminology and constructs, assessment procedures, relationship to personality disorders, and psychopathology. This book is considered a prominent theoretical perspective on social anxiety and social anxiety disorders (SAD). All the information is gathered from social psychologists, developmental psychologists, behaviour geneticists, clinical psychologists, and psychiatrists. Moreover, light is shed on the treatment approaches such as cognitive behavioural therapy, exposure intervention, and social skills training.
Add this book to your list if…
You are unclear whether you are shy or may have social anxiety.
Skip this book if…
- You want something lengthy and detailed.
- You are clear about your social anxiety.
4. Good-Bye To Shy
In one of the self help books, Leil Lowndes has discussed 85 proven techniques to help you conquer your shyness and change your life for a good perspective. All the tested shy busters will prepare their readers for all the upcoming happenings for the rest of their lives.
The author is a person who herself overcame this shyness and became a confident woman. She teaches the ways to fearlessly communicate with people who used to intimidate the audience. After reading through the material, the person will overcome embracing stammering, sweating, and clamming up.
Recommended book if…
You are more comfortable in reading list formats.
A bad book choice if…
- You are comfortable with a more clinical, professional approach.
- You don’t like reading a long list of formats.
5. What You Must Think Of Me
Emily Frank’s memoir is about the way she negotiated all the obstacles of social anxiety and overcame them with the help of therapy and hard work. Her story is coupled with the latest medical and scientific information about the cause, diagnosis, treatment, and self-management of social anxiety disorder. Readers will find enough information on solid advice and genius inspiration in this book.
Add to your bucket list if…
You want a feeling that you are not alone in this journey.
Don’t buy if…
Your interest is more inclined towards a scientific read or a self-help book.
6. Talking with confidence for the painfully shy
There are times when you feel too shy to talk to your classmates to help you complete assignments. In such a situation, services like CMI assignment help or others might help you in creating an outstanding assignment. Or else search for a book that can help you in overcoming your shyness.
Talking with confidence for painfully shy people highlights the techniques that can help shy people master their insecurity, anxiety, and nervousness so that they can meet and speak with others easily. It also offers tips on coping with job interviews, giving speeches, and networking with business contacts. The three proven tips will help you get started. First and foremost, it shows receptivity and a willingness to talk to others. The second approach is interesting in a positive way, teaching the way to ask questions and be an active listener. And finally, the last one teaches us to take risks by sharing something about ourselves that can allow us to connect with people and help us to meet and talk with them.
Buy this book if…
- You are looking for something that covers the absolute basics.
- You are dealing with moderate shyness.
- You are interested in business applications.
- You don’t fancy workbooks.
Don’t buy if…
- You have crippling social anxiety; this doesn’t mean that this book is for painfully shy, but it is still trivializing severe shyness or social anxiety.
- Looking for examples that are relevant to today’s life.
7. How To Communicate With Confidence
Asking for help during an assignment completion is a difficult task, especially for those who have social anxiety. One of the ways to prevent yourself from making conversation is to look for services like NVQ assignment help or others. You can also work on reducing your anxiety level by reading a book.
How To Communicate With Confidence is one of the straightforward guides that can help in making a good conversation. It can work in all situations and any personality type. This book gives confidence to readers who hesitate to strike up a conversation, highlighting the art of give and take and stressing the importance of listening. The author, Mike Bechtle, narrates that the readers don’t need to have a stockpile of great stories to begin a good conversation. Instead, more focus is given to the explorer mindset, and the readers are facilitated with the tools they need to talk to anyone, anytime and anywhere.
Add to the list if…
You want to improve your social skills but are being held back due to moderate levels of nervosity or introversion.
Don’t add to the list if…
You are suffering from severe shyness or social anxiety.
8. The Solution To Social Anxiety
Among many self help books, in this book, Dr. Aziz guides the readers along the path out of social anxiety and building confidence in themselves. The readers will discover the things that keep them stuck in shyness and learn exactly what to do to eliminate this fear. The author himself suffered from social anxiety for many years and then became determined to find ways to achieve social freedom. The initial part of the book focuses on understanding the problem. It highlights the different situations and what it feels like in those situations. This book is a mixture of the situations and their solutions.
Do buy this book if…
You have mild social anxiety and feel difficulty talking to women especially.
Don’t buy this book if…
- You have moderate to severe social anxiety.
- You are not a heterosexual man.
- You want something more comprehensive.
9. We’re all MAD here
In this book, the award-winning blogger Claire Eastham shares honest insights about her social anxiety and a healthy dose of humour. She describes what social anxiety is, why it happens, and how you can lessen its effects with lifestyle choices, taking therapies, or even a hug from your friend.
Add to your book list if…
- You are looking for a light read filled with positivity.
- You want to feel better with social anxiety.
- You are interested in reading personal anecdotes.
Skip this book if…
You have already collected enough information related to social anxiety.
10. Stop Anxiety From Stopping You
This book offers practical, evidence-based exercises to handle anxiety. Dr. Halen Odessky’s book is the number one-selling book for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), mood disorders, and self-esteem and self-reliance. The author is an anxiety expert and speaker who also runs his private clinic, focusing on dealing with patients with anxiety, OCD, and panic treatment. The author narrates that our lives have become so busy that we are unable to tend to our emotions until they approach us at a high speed. Through this book, he offers proven tools to increase mental health awareness, overcome anxiety, and stop panic attacks.
Buy this book if…
- You experience panic attacks.
- You are desperate to know about the author’s social anxiety.
- Your social anxiety is not overwhelming.
You can skip this book if…
You are safe from panic attacks.
Can reading books help with releasing social anxiety?
Several books help readers to cope with their anxiety levels. Look for them and start reading if you are on the list of suffering from anxiety.
What else does a person with social anxiety do to eliminate it from their life?
Apart from reading books from different authors on social anxiety, a combination of medication and cognitive behavioural therapy will work in reducing the level of anxiety.
What is the element that makes social anxiety worse?
When a person feels the pressure to interact with others in any way, or they are not ready, being criticized or humiliated, or having other fears and worries can make social anxiety worse.
Is there any age limit for social anxiety to begin?
There is no age limit for a person to develop social anxiety. It can start from childhood or can develop at an adult age.
The Final Thoughts
Social anxiety books are essential resources that help in relaxing the inner critic and moving towards a more secure and happy social life.
Whether you are looking for personal growth, self-improvement, or awareness of social disorders, you must grab one of these self help books to overcome social anxiety and shyness.