Social Anxiety - Easy read information

A member of staff or a carer can support you to read this guide. They will be able to answer any questions that you have. 

About this guide

• This guide is for people who feel very shy or have social anxiety.  This means you feel very nervous when you are with other people.
• It will tell you how you might feel.
• It will tell you where you can go to get help.

Being shy or nervous in front of people they don’t know very well is normal.

For some people, they are very shy and very nervous and it affects the way they behave.

It might make them feel very frightened to go out.

It can make them feel very nervous and tense when people come to the house, even if they know them.

It might make them feel like the way they act or the things they do will be embarrassing for everyone there.

Sometimes people think that everything they do makes others look at them.  They may feel like everyone is watching them and thinking bad things about them.

They may feel scared about speaking in shops or using buses and trains.

It can make life very hard at home, at work, or when they go out.

They may feel worried about how you look to other people.

When shyness gets so bad it makes life difficult, a person may have something called social anxiety.

When you get very nervous and shy in front of other people, your body changes.  You might feel:

• Like your heart is beating hard and fast.
• Your chest might feel tight and it might be harder to breathe.
• Your hands or feet might go numb.
• Like you have butterflies in your stomach.
• Sweating and dizzy or sick.

• Your face might go red.  This is called blushing. Because you know people can see you blushing, it feels embarrassing, and you start to avoid anything that might make you blush.
• You might find it hard to understand what people are saying or doing.
• You may find it hard to say what you want to say.
• You might find it hard to think.
   

You might change the way you live your life:

• Staying in and not seeing your friends and family.
• Not talking to people on the telephone.
• Ask other people to do things for you, like go out shopping.
• You might find it hard to relax so you might drink or smoke more.
   

Anyone can be shy or have social anxiety.

If you do not feel good about yourself, you may feel more nervous around other people.
You may also feel like other people are more important than you or that your opinion does not matter.

For others it can be the other way around.  They are confident when younger but because of things that happen in their lives they become shy or socially anxious.

There are lots of things you can try to start to feel less shy and nervous.

First of all you should try to understand what social anxiety means to you.

Think about:

• How you feel when you are nervous or shy.
• When you feel nervous and shy – what are you doing and who are you with? 
• What works to make you feel better.

You can start to think about why you feel like you do and work on one problem at a time.
 

Next you could think, write or draw a picture of how you see yourself when you are shy or nervous.  Doing this might help you to stop thinking of yourself in that way.

When you are out and about and start to feel shy or nervous, try not to concentrate on how you are feeling – think about what is going on around you and the other people you are with. Try to see that people are not staring at you or laughing at you.

Start building up time spent with other people that you feel less shy with at first.

Finally you can try to face your fears.  Make a list of the things that make you feel shy or nervous.  Put them in order, from the easiest to the most difficult (or most frightening).

Make sure when you breathe it is slow and steady and not too fast as this can make you feel worse.
 

You could also try to relax by listening to music or watching TV or doing some exercise. 

Try a new hobby as this will help you to take your mind off being shy and nervous.

Sometimes it is easier to talk to people when you both like the same thing.  For example, if you have a dog, it can be easier to have a short chat about dogs when you are out for a walk. When the talk is about the thing you both like, it feels less difficult.

Usually if someone has social anxiety they also have anxiety that effects other parts of their life too.

It may be helpful to speak to your doctor who can help or to ask if they can put you on to a mental health expert who has special training to help with this.

If you would like to get more help or information about stress, you can get in touch with these people:

Anxiety Care
Help with feeling nervous or tense.
www.anxietycare.org.uk
 

Mind Infoline
Help, information and support.
Telephone: 0300 123 3393
Email: info@mind.org.uk
www.mind.org.uk
 

Rethink
Information and help for anyone who has mental health problems.
Advice Service: 0808 801 0525
Email: advice@rethink.org
www.rethink.org
 

You can also get help and information from your doctor or nurse.

Easy Read version developed by:

• Skills for People, Telephone: 0191 281 8737
  Skills for People is a registered charity no. 1069993
• Many thanks to service users and healthcare staff who have contributed to the development of this guide

Adapted from Shyness and Social Anxiety - A Self Help Guide 
written by Dr Lesley Maunder and Lorna Cameron www.selfhelp.cntw.nhs.uk

Published by the Patient Information Centre
2025 Copyright, Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
Ref, PIC/648/0525 May 2025 V4
Review date 2028