The Shyness & Social Anxiety Workbook
22Finally, the cycle may start with the behavioral component, namely avoidance and 
safety behaviors. By putting off getting together with friends for a long time (behavioral 
component), you are more likely to experience anxious thoughts (cognitive component) 
about what might happen when you do see them, as well as uncomfortable physical 
feelings when you are actually in the situation (physical component). Although avoiding 
anxiety-provoking situations can be comforting in the short term, it also can have the 
effect of making the situation even more uncomfortable when you ﬁnally confront it. 
The longer you put off an unpleasant task, the harder it is to start the task when you 
ﬁnally decide to do it.
Exercise: Components of Social Anxiety
Over the next week or so, photocopy and use the Three Components of Social Anxiety 
Monitoring Form (found at the end of this chapter) to record your anxiety in terms 
of the three components of fear. Try to complete the form each time you encounter 
a feared social situation (if possible, at least three times in the next week). In the ﬁrst 
column, record the situation (including time and place). In the second column, record 
the intensity of your fear using a scale from 0 (no fear) to 100 (maximum fear). In the 
third column, record the physical sensations that you experienced in the situation. In the 
fourth column, record any anxiety-provoking thoughts or predictions that you are aware 
of regarding the situation. Finally, in the ﬁfth column, record any avoidance behaviors or 
any other anxious behaviors used to reduce your anxiety. In addition to the blank form, 
a sample completed form is included.
OTHER PROBLEMS AND FEATURES