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"&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Anxiety in meetings at work can be a problem for those with &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/overview-of-social-anxiety-disorder-3024709&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;social anxiety disorder (SAD)&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;. Perhaps you have missed out on promotion opportunities because you didn&amp;amp;#39;t speak up in meetings like your colleagues. Or, maybe you have avoided promotions completely because they would mean that you would have to attend more meetings.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;If your anxiety is not severe or you are already in treatment for SAD, there are a number of coping strategies that you can use to help alleviate social anxiety in meetings at work.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;Practice&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;If you are required to present during meetings, or simply wish to improve your skills at &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/tips-for-managing-public-speaking-anxiety-3024336&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;speaking to a group&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;, there is no substitute for regular practice. In addition to practicing material on your own, you should &amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;consider joining a group like &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;http://www.toastmasters.org/&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;externalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Toastmasters&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Toastmasters offers more than just the chance to become a better public speaker. The organization will help you to improve your ability to make introductions, think on your feet, and talk informally to a group. During the first few sessions you are free to observe and decide whether or not you want to participate.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;Watch Avoidance Behaviors&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Perhaps you have managed to get through business meetings by being so thoroughly prepared that you have a scripted answer to every question. Although preparation is important, &amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;being over-prepared is a subtle type of &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/what-are-avoidance-behaviors-3024312&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;4&amp;quot;&amp;gt;avoidance&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;. It is just as important to trust yourself to be able to respond spontaneously to questions and discuss issues that aren&amp;amp;#39;t pre-planned. Realize that in these situations, it is OK to say that you are unsure about something and that you will look into it.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;Know Your Strengths&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;If you suffer with social anxiety in meetings, you will probably never be the most eloquent speaker in the group. Instead, &amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;use your listening skills to your advantage&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;. If you listen carefully to what others say and choose your words carefully, others will admire your wisdom and patience.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;Prepare&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Do your best to prepare and research issues before a meeting so that you are up to speed. Make sure that you are wearing clothing that is comfortable and professional, and that make you feel good. Before going into a business meeting, try talking on the phone with a friend or family member that makes you feel relaxed, and then carry that feeling with you into the meeting. Try to &amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;arrive at least 10 minutes early&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt; so that you can meet people as they arrive.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;Use Visuals&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Visuals are great tools both for getting a message across and drawing attention away from yourself. If you are speaking to the group, be sure to &amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;use some sort of visual medium as part of your presentation&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;If you suffer from severe social anxiety, there is no substitute for treatment such as &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/medications-used-to-treat-social-anxiety-disorder-3024946&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;5&amp;quot;&amp;gt;medication&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; or &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/how-is-cbt-used-to-treat-sad-3024945&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;6&amp;quot;&amp;gt;cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;. In combination with the tips above, you should be well on your way to successfully managing social anxiety in meetings at work.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;Sources&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;cite&amp;gt;Carducci BJ. Shyness: A bold new approach. New York: Harper Collins; 2000.&amp;lt;/cite&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;cite&amp;gt;Carducci BJ. Pocket guide to making successful small talk: How to talk to anyone anytime, anywhere about anything. New York: Pocket Guide Publications; 1999.&amp;lt;/cite&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;cite&amp;gt;Clark CH. The shy writer. Bangor, ME: Booklocker.com; 2004.&amp;lt;/cite&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;cite&amp;gt;Henkel SL, Lujanac M. Successful meetings: How to plan, prepare, and execute top-notch business meetings. Ocala, FL: Atlantic Publishing; 2007.&amp;lt;/cite&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;cite&amp;gt;Stein MB, Walker JR. Triumph over shyness: Conquering shyness and social anxiety. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2003.&amp;lt;/cite&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<https://www.verywell.com/anxiety-in-meetings-3024310>