Getting to Know Your Social Anxiety
45Performance Situations (being observed by others)
Fear Avoidance Item
  Giving a presentation at work
  Making a toast at a party or family gathering
  Speaking in meetings at work or school
  Playing sports or participating in aerobics in front of 
others
  Standing in a wedding party at someone else’s wedding
  Singing or performing music in front of others
  Eating or drinking in front of others
  Using public bathrooms with others in the room
  Writing with others watching (such as signing a check)
  Making a mistake in public (for instance, mispronouncing a 
word)
  Walking or jogging in a busy public place
  Introducing yourself in front of a group
  Shopping in a busy store
  Other (specify)                  
  Other (specify)                  
  Other (specify)                  
WHICH VARIABLES MAKE YOUR ANXIETY BETTER OR WORSE?
An important step in your self-assessment is to become aware of the variables that 
make your fear better or worse in a given situation. For example, if you are fearful 
of eating with other people, there are many factors that could inﬂuence your fear in 
this situation, including who you’re eating with, where you’re eating, and what you’re 
eating. Identifying the variables that affect your level of fear in a particular situation 
will help you to set up appropriate practices when you begin to use the exposure-based 
 techniques discussed later in this book.
Following is a list of variables that sometimes affect a person’s fear and anxiety 
in social situations. For each item, record a number ranging from 0 to 100 to rate the 
extent to which the variable listed affects your level of fear or discomfort in the types of