Posted: 29 Sep 2010 11:08 PM PDT
Why So Shy? - Most
psychological experts believe that shyness is a learned behavior or a
reaction to a negative event that inhibits the person. For
example, if you were raised in a family where you were made to feel
“less than”, your shyness could have developed out of a belief that you
were only worthwhile if you lived up to certain expectations, so you
became more inhibited and stifled as a result. If you lived with others
who were shy or emotionally identified with an attachment figure who was
shy, you may have observed and modeled that behavior yourself and it
became a part of you.
Growing
up gay doesn’t help the shy guy much either. Living “in the closet” and
trying to cope with being different in a homophobic society could have
inhibited you even more, amplifying the effects of shyness.
Having been a shy guy myself, feeling more comfortable with my sexual
identity and “coming-out” helped me tremendously in breaking out of my
shell and becoming more socially confident as I was finally able to be
the “real me” and let loose without the fear of scrutiny. Where does
your shyness stem from? Try to understand the origins of your shyness by examining your attitudes and past experiences more closely.
Battle Strategies For Overcoming Shyness:
Conquering
the shyness beast is not a quick-fix, so it’s important to go slow,
pace yourself, and take small steps toward your goals. From my
own personal experience and from my work as a therapist and coach with
clients, the following are some practical coping tools for taking some
steps toward overcoming shyness for those guys who don’t want to be held
back any further from realizing and living their visions for fulfilling
social and dating experiences.
* Become educated in anxiety management strategies.
Learn relaxation techniques that will help you cope more effectively
with nervousness so you don’t keep succumbing to the power of your
physical reactions.
*
Develop a contract with yourself or a close friend/family member
detailing an action plan for how you intend to conquer your shyness
problem. Schedule times every week that will stretch you out of
your comfort zone and put yourself in social situations where you can
practice becoming more confident and savvy. Learn about systematic
desensitization to help gradually expose yourself to anxiety-provoking
situations.
*
If throwing yourself into a social scene is too overwhelming to start
with, start slower by taking an acting class or joining a public
speaking meeting like Toastmasters. These venues are excellent
places to teach you valuable social skills in a structured, safe,
setting that will give you the practice you need to feel more
self-assured. They’re great for building your confidence and self-esteem
too and you can make some great new friends! When you’re ready, try the
structured Speed Dating craze as a segue to experimenting in the dating
world. For now, don’t attach any investment in outcome. Use the more
non-threatening parts of your world as your practice laboratory. In
time, you’ll develop more of a sense of mastery and comfort in your own
skin.
* Learn communication and active listening skills that will assist you in having conversations with others.
Be mindful of your body language and how you carry yourself too. If you
need to, plan ahead and make a list of topics you can talk about at a
social gathering or event, but don’t be rehearsed.
*
Picture yourself as you’d like to be and visualize this on a regular
basis to rehearse and internalize this more socially sophisticated you.
Role-play with a trusted friend. Create a collage with pictures, words,
and symbols that represent the image of the “new you” and keep it
posted in a place where you see it every day to keep centered and
motivated on where you’re headed.
* Break out of the self-absorption trap by transferring the focus to helping others.
Channel the energies that reinforced your shyness into rewarding
activities that will benefit others in some way. Paradoxically, you’ll
be helping yourself too!
* Most importantly, challenge the negative thoughts that go through your head.
These feed your insecurity and breed shyness. Learn about cognitive
distortions and learn how to “talk back” to self-defeating thoughts that
sabotage you. Look at situations realistically and substitute those
toxic thoughts with more affirming ones that will empower you to see and
act like the great guy that you are.
* Read as many books and workbooks on shyness and social anxiety as you can.
Enlist the help of a therapist or coach to go through them with you to
help you generalize your learning to the places where it counts most.
Conclusion:
Realize,
shy guys, that the more you run from and avoid your anxiety-provoking
situations, the more strengthened and reinforced your shyness gets.
The key is to stop giving away your personal power to others (in what
you perceive of them thinking of you) and learn to become more
assertive. Stand up for yourself, take charge of your life, and don’t
stay home another Friday night alone in front of the TV. Get out there
and make your dreams come true! You have a lot to contribute and give, but you must realize this first and take proactive steps to making your vision a reality.
And a special note to all you single, extroverted, outgoing, non-shy guys….
Don’t
be so quick to dismiss a guy just because he’s a little quiet or
reserved. Shy guys can very easily get “lost in the crowd” and get
overlooked by the more colorful, sociable men that tend to draw the
attention in social circles.
Never
underestimate the power and value of a shy guy. He is very creative,
passionate, loyal, and caring. Sometimes he might need a little extra
encouragement or reassurance, but he’s loving and he’s got your back and
he can add a lot of meaning to your life. So never turn a blind eye,
because shy guys make good boyfriends too. And who knows, he could even
turn out to be your life partner.
©2007 Brian Rzepczynski
Dr. Brian Rzepczynski, contributing author to GAYTWOGETHER, is one
of the leading love coaches for the gay community. As a licensed dating
and relationship coach, Dr. Brian Rzepczynski, DHS, MSW has over 18
years experience as a psychotherapist and life coach specializing in
helping GLBT individuals and couples develop and maintain successful and
fulfilling intimate relationships. He holds a doctorate degree in human
sexuality from the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality and a
master’s degree in clinical social work from Western Michigan
University. He also runs a successful private therapy practice, Personal
Victory Counseling, Inc. http://thegaylovecoach.comTHANKS BRIAN and Thanks Michael at gaytwogether.com !
4 comments:
This is a very interesting post, JustinO. There's a big difference between being shy and being modest, and I believe the two should never be confused.
For example, I refrain from telling people I'm exceptionally brilliant. By the same token, here I am at 66 and nobody's figured it out yet.
Some years ago, a bloke I took home slapped me across the face because he thought I wanted to be subservient. So I slapped him across his face even harder and said if you do that again I'll break your f-ing nose. So that was the end of that. He stormed out. I didn't even get to check out the family jewels.
Shyness can be a wonderful thing. Blushing can be so beautiful and endearing. Knowing when it's cute and when it's a problem is not always easy to figure out.
TOUGH TRADE !
rflmsao. . . .hahahahahaaaa
Toastmasters? Speeches? Remembering how classmates would laugh at my voice. Yikes!!!
Anyhoot, i've found it helpful to hang around ppl i believe to be more Einstein than me. I'd focus on how they present themselves, how they handle situations.
And ppl with positive attitudes would make me feel more likely to take chances. It helps when others believe in diversity, and are inclusive.
Very interesting indeed.
Oh, this will be running through my head for a long time. Just what I need, more stuff in my head.
It's like the author knows me. Somehow I was able to come out of my little space long enough to grab me a wonderful man. Then I ran back in and took him with me. I like the idea of little practices to help get over the shyness. I guess I should start now to be ready for the cruise in October.
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