Getting to Know Your Social Anxiety
57HOW MUCH DOES YOUR SOCIAL ANXIETY BOTHER YOU OR 
INTERFERE WITH YOUR LIFE?
As we discussed in chapter 1, social anxiety, shyness, and performance-related fears 
are only a problem if they interfere with aspects of your functioning or if having the 
fear is troublesome for you. So, as part of your self-assessment, it’s important for you to 
determine which aspects of your fear trouble you and which don’t. Are there particular 
situations for which you are most interested in overcoming your fear? For example, it 
may be important for you to overcome your fear of socializing with friends but relatively 
less important for you to overcome your fear of speaking in front of large groups if that 
situation never arises.
In the space below, record (1) the ways in which your social anxiety interferes with 
your functioning (including work or school, social life, relationships, hobbies and leisure 
activities, home and family life), (2) the speciﬁc aspects of your social anxiety that 
you most want to change, and (3) any aspects of your social anxiety that you are not 
 interested in working on.
Ways in Which Social Anxiety Interferes with My Life
Aspects of My Social Anxiety That I Want to Change
Aspects of My Social Anxiety That I Don’t Want to Change