The Shyness & Social Anxiety Workbook
154Solutions:   Start with an easier practice. The activity that you choose should be 
challenging but not completely overwhelming. If a particular task seems 
impossible, start with an easier task that does seem possible.
Use the cognitive strategies discussed in chapter 6 to challenge your 
anxious thoughts before entering a feared situation.
Obstacle:  I’m too busy. There never seems to be enough time to do the work.
Solutions:   Put aside small blocks of time to be used exclusively for your social 
anxiety exposure practices. If time is reserved just for this purpose, you 
will be less likely to feel as if your practices are getting in the way of 
your other important activities. This is something you want to do for 
yourself. If you really want to deal with your social anxiety, you know 
you can ﬁnd the small blocks of time to reserve for the practices. Think 
of practice times as taking a class. You may not always want to go to a 
class, but if you want to learn what is being taught there, you ﬁnd the 
time to go. 
Choose practices that can be completed during the course of your 
regular routine. For example, you need to eat every day—you might as 
well eat some of your meals with other people instead of always eating 
alone.
Set aside a large block of time (e.g., clear a week-long vacation from 
work) and spend the whole time practicing exposure nonstop.
Obstacle:  I am not convinced that exposure practices will be helpful.
Solutions:   Begin with a smaller exposure practice in which you have little to lose, 
but in which you can still test whether exposing yourself to the situation 
leads to a decrease in your fear.