Most of us know that exercise is good for lifting your mood. Wayne Patrick Sheeran is discovering that it is also good for coping with social anxiety disorder (SAD). Sheeran has been running with Victoria, British Columbia running group "Every Step Counts", a group designed to help those with mental health problems among other personal issues.
Sheeran reports that participating in the twice-weekly run has led to improved sleep. In addition, he runs alongside a dozen other people, challenging his beliefs and anxiety about spending time with others. This is one example of how simple coping strategies can go a long way toward improving symptoms of SAD. Although there is no substitute for professional treatment such as medication or therapy, using coping strategies such as exercise can help to improve your daily life.
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We should try to overcome anxiety as it affects a person’s thoughts in such a way that the person doesn’t see when a problem can be overcome. It’s as if the anxiety attacs put a filter on the person’s thinking that distorts things. Someone under stress is unable to see the possibility of a good outcome and may believe they will never be happy or things will never go right for them again.