How do you cope with your shyness?

The above poll is based on the page A5 perspective article, ‘Ten strategies to cope with your shyness’, published in the The Views section of Gulf News on October 12.

Shyness is the tendency to feel awkward, worried or tense during social encounters, especially with unfamiliar people. Severely shy people may even have physical symptoms like blushing, sweating, a pounding heart or upset stomach. They often have negative feelings about themselves and worry about how others view them.

Most people feel shy at least occasionally. However, some people’s shyness is so intense that it can keep them from interacting with others even when they want or need to. According to the American Psychological Association, avoidance and inhibition include cancelling social events at the last moment, avoiding situations that provide positive social interaction, few or no friends, passivity, pessimism and low self-esteem and even excessive computer use that is not social in nature, and is without face to face contact with others.

We asked Gulf News readers how the cope with shyness and a majority 66 per cent of the poll respondents said they try and forget about it.

Are you a shy person? How do you cope? Share your experience with us on gulfnews.com