Hypnotherapy for Social Anxiety
This time of year often brings a flurry of invites - work dos, family gatherings, festive get-togethers, and dinners with friends. But while many look forward to these moments, for others, just the thought of them can spark a rush of anxiety.
If you live with social anxiety, this season can feel like a mountain to climb. Your heart races at the thought of walking into a crowded room, your stomach tightens as plans get closer, and sometimes it’s just easier to say “no” altogether.
But social anxiety doesn’t only appear at parties. It can show up in everyday moments too - at the school gates, during meetings, at the checkout, or even answering the phone. And when it starts to shape the way you live your life, it can feel isolating and exhausting.
What Social Anxiety Can Feel Like
Social anxiety is much more than shyness. For many, it’s a physical and emotional response that can be hard to control. Common experiences include:
A racing heart, shaky hands, or shortness of breath
Tightness in the chest, nausea, or feeling frozen
Spiralling thoughts before or during social situations
Worrying afterwards about what you said or did
This constant state of alert can chip away at confidence and make even small interactions feel like big hurdles.
How Hypnotherapy Can Help
Hypnotherapy works gently with the subconscious mind - the part of your brain that runs old thought patterns and emotional responses on autopilot. Through guided relaxation and focused attention, hypnotherapy can help:
Ease the physical sensations of anxiety (racing heart, tension, breathlessness)
Quiet the “what if” spiral before it takes over
Build a sense of calm and safety around social situations
Create new, more helpful patterns and responses
Many people find that hypnotherapy allows them to feel more in control rather than overwhelmed - and it can be used alongside counselling or other therapies for deeper support.
Practical Techniques You Can Try
While hypnotherapy can support lasting change, there are also simple steps you can use day to day to help manage social anxiety in the moment.
1. Note Making
When anxiety builds, pausing to jot down (or mentally note) where you are, what’s happening, and how you’re feeling can help you notice patterns and triggers. Over time, these notes can highlight situations that need more gentle support - or help you see how far you’ve come.
2. Break It Down
Big social situations can feel overwhelming. Breaking them into manageable steps can help.
For example:
Start with quieter times or smaller gatherings
Build up gradually to busier or longer events
Give yourself permission to step away if needed
This isn’t about “forcing” confidence. It’s about creating space to grow it gently.
3. Breathing & Relaxation
When anxiety takes over, your breathing often becomes shallow - which can intensify symptoms. Practising belly breathing can help calm the nervous system.
Place one hand on your belly
Inhale slowly through your nose, letting your belly rise
Exhale gently through your mouth
Repeat for 10 slow breaths
Gentle techniques like Havening (a form of soothing touch and positive affirmations) can also be powerful tools in anxious moments.
4. Talk It Through
Whether it’s with a trusted friend or a therapist, talking about how you’re feeling can ease the pressure and make things feel less heavy. You’re not weak for needing support - you’re human.
What a Hypnotherapy Session Looks Like
Before anything else, we talk. You’ll have space to explain what’s happening for you and how social anxiety shows up in your life.
You’ll then be guided into a relaxed, focused state - a bit like a calm daydream. In this space, your mind is more open to gentle, positive suggestions designed to help shift old patterns. And importantly:
✅ You stay fully in control the entire time.
✅ You can stop at any moment.
✅ Everything is agreed together.
This can help you build new, calmer responses to the situations that once felt overwhelming.
Real Change Doesn’t Need to Be All or Nothing
Social anxiety can feel all-consuming, but it doesn’t define who you are. You don’t have to face it alone, and you don’t need to “fix everything” overnight.
For some, just a few sessions of hypnotherapy make social situations feel less daunting. For others, it’s a gradual, layered process - combining self-help techniques with therapy. What matters is finding the approach that works for you.
If You’re Ready to Explore
If you’re finding this time of year difficult, or if social anxiety has been holding you back for a while, know that support is here.
Hypnotherapy offers a gentle, practical way to calm your mind, ease the physical symptoms, and help you reconnect with a sense of confidence and ease.
📞 07787 831 275
📩 patti.hemmings@hotmail.com
