The Shyness & Social Anxiety Workbook
70UÊImproving your job prospects (for instance, realizing new opportunities to 
get a promotion or to seek a higher-paying position)
UÊOpening up some opportunities for self-improvement by furthering your 
education
UÊLearning to increase your enjoyment of life
UÊFeeling more conﬁdent
UÊIncreasing your ability to express yourself
UÊLearning strategies that you may be able to apply to other problems, such 
as anger, depression, or a troubled relationship
Based on this list of examples, or others that you can identify, can you think of 
beneﬁts that would result from overcoming your social anxiety? Focus on beneﬁts that 
are based on your own internal values and goals (for example, “I want to have closer friend -
ships”), rather than the values and goals of others (for example, “My mother wants me 
to make new friends”). Questions like the ones listed below can be useful as you identify 
your own reasons for changing:
UÊHow would I like my life to be different in ﬁve years?
UÊWhat would be better about my life if I felt more comfortable in social 
situation s?
UÊWhat type of person would I like to be, and how is my social anxiety pre -
venting me from being that type of person?
UÊWhat sorts of things do I miss about my life before social anxiety became 
as big a problem as it is now?
Record your reasons for changing in the space below.
Now that you have had a chance to consider the costs and beneﬁts of working on 
your social anxiety, you are in a better position to make a commitment to working on