Episodes

  • Social Anxiety: Understanding triggers without shame…

    Social Anxiety: Understanding triggers without shame…
    Jul 7 2026
    In this episode of Social Anxiety: Let's Make Sense Of This Sht, we explore understanding triggers without shame. Rather than rushing to label moments as flaws, we focus on naming them plainly by recording details like time of day, nearby people, and physical sensations such as a tight chest or faster breathing. This builds a factual record that reveals patterns over a few days, separating the cue itself from the added story of self-criticism. Examples from everyday scenarios, like a barista's hello after a draining call or sudden attention in a meeting, show how timing or context often sparks the urge to withdraw more than any inherent failing.

    Key takeaways:
    - Note one situation with exact timing and who was present to create a simple log.
    - Add one body-based observation without judgment to keep entries objective.
    - Review entries after two or three days to let patterns emerge clearly.

    This method turns vague discomfort into workable insights, opening space to respond with curiosity instead of shame.

    📩 Have questions or want to share your experience? Reach out at social-anxiety@senseofthisshit.com.
    https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/social-anxiety-let-s-make-sense-of-this-sh-t--7148799/support
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    34 mins
  • Social Anxiety: Daily coping strategies you can…

    Social Anxiety: Daily coping strategies you can…
    Jul 4 2026
    In this episode, Ava shares practical daily coping strategies for social anxiety that slot right into your existing routines—no extra time or big changes required. Drawing from her own weekly check-in and real-life moments like tense video calls or quick store chats, she breaks down a simple three-step loop: spotting avoidance signals, trying one brief exposure, and noting your body's reactions in the evening. The focus stays on three categories—body, mind, and action—so you can interrupt tension, reframe racing thoughts, and make tiny moves that keep you showing up anyway.

    Key takeaways include:
    - Label the urge to back away as an avoidance signal to reduce its power.
    - Pick one small exposure daily, like extra eye contact or staying in a conversation two minutes longer.
    - Use a quick evening note to track what happened and build momentum as an experiment, not a test.

    These tools target ordinary days across seven focused days, helping ease immediate spikes without forcing different feelings first.

    📩 Have questions or want to share your experience? Reach out at social-anxiety@senseofthisshit.com. Support the show: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/social-anxiety-let-s-make-sense-of-this-sh-t--7148799/support
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    29 mins
  • Social Anxiety 101: Fear of Judgment and Small Exposure Steps

    Social Anxiety 101: Fear of Judgment and Small Exposure Steps
    Jul 2 2026
    In this episode, Ava unpacks social anxiety through the lens of fear of evaluation, where the dread of judgment sparks spiraling thoughts and avoidance behaviors that only amplify the worry over time. She explains how skipping interactions prevents the mind from gathering evidence that most people aren't scrutinizing us harshly, then offers practical ways to interrupt the cycle with small, repeatable exposures like greeting a neighbor or adding a comment in a group chat. These steps build tolerance gradually without overwhelming leaps, helping the tension ease through real-world proof that worst-case scenarios rarely happen.

    Key takeaways:
    - Fear of judgment often fuels avoidance, strengthening anxiety by denying corrective experiences.
    - Starting tiny—such as consistent daily greetings with eye contact—interrupts the loop effectively.
    - Tracking avoided moments and varying situations builds momentum toward bigger social steps over time.

    📩 Have questions or want to share your experience? Reach out at .
    Support the show: https://www.spreaker.com/podca...

    📩 Have questions or want to share your experience? Reach out at social-anxiety@senseofthisshit.com.
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    8 mins