When you have Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), it can be difficult to find a job that you like, let alone a job you excel at. It can seem like almost every job available requires you to closely interact with others on a daily basis. When you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed with social anxiety, the last thing you want to do is work hand-in-hand with other people. But, find peace in knowing that there are jobs out there that are perfect for people with social anxiety!
The best job for someone living with SAD is a job that lets you pursue your dreams and expand your skills while not risking your mental wellbeing. Some of these jobs may include working with a few people instead of overwhelmingly large groups. On the other hand, if you have social anxiety and are looking to challenge yourself, you may find it more beneficial to take a job that pushes you outside of your comfort zone.
Before we dive into the best jobs for people with social anxiety, let us talk about what social anxiety exactly is…
Anchor Therapy is a counseling center in Hoboken, NJ with mental health therapists specialized in helping children, teens, adults, and couples with anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma, life transitions, and more. Anchor Therapy is accepting new clients and is now providing in-person sessions and teletherapy sessions to residents of New Jersey, New York, Florida, North Carolina, and Utah.
What is Social Anxiety Disorder?
In certain social situations, it is normal to feel a little nervous. For instance, if you are going on a first date with someone, you may feel butterflies in your stomach (If you struggle with dating anxiety, check out our blog “How To Cope With Dating Anxiety.” Or, you may be preparing for a big presentation at work which leaves you feeling a little bit uneasy.
However, if you have SAD, also known as social phobia, simple everyday interactions can leave you feeling depleted, triggering severe self-consciousness, anxiety, and embarrassment due to your fear of being judged negatively or scrutinized by other people.
For people with social anxiety, fear and anxiety can seriously disrupt your life, leading to avoidance in some situations. Serious stress can impact your relationships, daily routine, work, school, and additional activities. If you struggle with stress management, read our blog “Everything You Need To Know About Stress Management Therapy.”
What are the symptoms of social anxiety?
Contrary to popular belief, social anxiety is not just shyness. Shyness or discomfort in some social settings are not always indicators of SAD, especially in children. If you feel like your child may be experiencing anxiety, it can be helpful to first learn how to help them manage their emotions. You can do so by reading our blog “3 Ways To Help Your Child Express And Manage Their Emotions.”
Generally, comfort levels in certain situations vary according to one’s personality and life experiences. Some people are naturally more reserved while other people may be more outgoing, and that is completely okay. If you are interested in seeing what personality type you fit into, check out our blog “Find Out If You’re An Introvert Or Extrovert.”
SAD goes beyond typical everyday nervousness. In contrast, SAD encompasses:
Fear
Anxiety
Avoidance that conflicts with relationships, daily routines, work, school, and other activities
SAD typically occurs in the early-to-mid teens; however, it can sometimes start in younger children and even adults. If you are interested in learning if you have social anxiety, read the following blog: “10 Ways To Self Diagnose An Anxiety Disorder.”
Some emotional and behavioral symptoms of SAD include:
Intense fear or anxiety during social situations
Fear that other people will notice that you look anxious
Fear of situations where you may be judged negatively
Worries of embarrassing or humiliating yourself
Fear of talking to or interacting with strangers
Experiencing physical symptoms that may trigger embarrassment (e.g., blushing, having a shaky voice, trembling, sweating, and so on)
Avoiding certain activities or speaking to other people out of fear of embarrassment
Avoiding situations where you might be the center of attention
Anxiety in anticipation of an upcoming feared event or activity
Analyzing your performance after a social situation for flaws
Expecting negative consequences from a social situation
Social anxiety manifests differently in children. When interacting with adults and peers, some children may:
Cry
Throw a temper tantrum
Cling to their parents
Refuse to speak in social situations
Since SAD looks different in children, the approach our clinicians take at Anchor Therapy with children look differently as well. In some cases, our child therapists may find play therapy to be a good fit while others may prefer art therapy. If you are interested in the different therapeutic modalities that our child counselors offer, read our following blogs: “How Does Child Play Therapy Work?” and “Is Art Therapy Actually Effective?”.
Another branch of SAD is when you experience intense fear and anxiety during speaking or performing in public, but not other type of social situations.
Some physical symptoms that may accompany SAD include:
Trembling
Sweating
Upset stomach or nausea
Blushing
Fast heartbeat
Dizziness or lightheadedness
Hard time catching your breath
Feeling as if your mind has gone blank
Muscle tension
When you have SAD, you may also avoid certain situations, places, or people out of fear. Common examples of this avoidance include:
Dating
Avoiding eye contact
Eating in front of other people
Using a public restroom
Interacting with unfamiliar people or strangers
Going to work or attending school
Attending parties or other types of social gatherings
Initiating conversations
Entering a room where people are already seated or situated
Returning items to a store
Your symptoms of SAD may change over time. If you are facing a lot of life transitions, stress, or demands at work and school, your anxiety symptoms may flare up. While avoiding situations that produce your anxiety may help in the short-term, it will only worsen your anxiety in the long-run, and stop you from getting anxiety treatment when you need it. If you need help managing your social anxiety, check out our blog “6 Helpful Tips For Living With Social Anxiety.”
What causes social anxiety?
There is no one specific, universal cause that triggers SAD in someone. Like many other mental health conditions, there are complex environmental and biological conditions that lead to social anxiety.
Some potential causes for social anxiety include:
Brain structure - Your amygdala, a structure in your brain, plays a role in controlling your fear response. If you have an overactive amygdala, you may have an increased fear response. This can easily cause a rise in anxiety during social situations.
Environment - Social anxiety may be a learned behavior. After an embarrassing or unpleasant social event, you may develop severe anxiety. There can also be a link between SAD and parents who model anxious behavior in social situations, whether consciously or unconsciously. Children whose parents are overprotective or controlling may also experience heightened social anxiety. This is why, as a parent, it is so important to practice self-care so you do not model potentially harmful behaviors to your children. If you need assistance, read our blog “Your Guide To Self-Care As A Parent.”
Inherited traits - In many cases, anxiety disorders can run in one’s family. Unfortunately, it is not entirely clear how much of social anxiety can be contributed to genetics and how much is due to learned behavior.
What if I do not seek treatment for my social anxiety?
If SAD goes untreated, it can lead to many complications. SAD can control your life if you let it. Anxieties can interfere with relationships, work, school, and more.
SAD can trigger:
Negative self-talk
Poor social skills
Low self-esteem (Read “Do You Understand Your Self-Esteem?” for more information)
Isolation and difficult social relationships
Suicide or suicide attempts (feeling suicidal? Help is only a phone call away at the free National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988)
Hypersensitivity to criticism
Low academic and/or employment achievements
Substance abuse/addiction issues (If someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, check out our blog “5 Ways To Help Someone Battling Addiction & Substance Abuse Issues” for some helpful tips)
Difficulty being assertive
Certain mental health disorders can occur alongside other mental health difficulties, such as Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and substance abuse. If you have some symptoms of depression and want to improve, look at our blog “4 Ways To Naturally Treat Depression.”
Now that we know some information about SAD, let us get into the best jobs for people with social anxiety…
Tutor
If you struggle with social anxiety, starting off as a tutor can be a great stepping stone. This allows you to practice social interaction with one or two people at a time without getting too overwhelmed. It is the perfect job for people who find it difficult to interact with multiple people at once. Additionally, tutoring is a flexible job- you can do it in a communal space, virtually from your home, or from your client’s home.
2. Bookkeeper or Accountant
Accounting or bookkeeping is an ideal job for someone with social anxiety. When you manage financial details for a company, you have the opportunity to work independently. You are able to put your own focus on reaching your goals without having to be under the direct supervision of a manager.
There is always a need to converse with other people, but the core of your work will be done on your own. Most of the time, you will serve one specific supervisor so you do not have to work closely with large groups of people.
3. Librarian
If you would like to limit your social interaction, a librarian may be the perfect job for you. Certain jobs at a library may be too overwhelming for you, such as working at a circulation desk or helping consumers navigate the computer systems. But, there are a variety of jobs available at a library.
You can shelve books or catalog which would allow you to spend most of your time alone taking care of inventory issues. Your library may even offer specialized jobs, like working in special collections. This would require some social interaction so it may be best for those experiencing moderate social anxiety.
4. Internet-Based Recruiter
When you think of a recruiter, you may think of someone who has to constantly be on the road and interacting with people; however, there are some recruitment jobs that are now conducted entirely virtually. Your job would simply be to bring in as many potential hires as you possibly can. You can collect resumes, statements of intent, and other application materials from potential hires through email.
Once you get this information, you simply pass it along to your supervisor. This position can even be looked at as a stepping stone. You may start off being completely internet-based and, then, want to challenge your social anxiety by stepping outside of your comfort zone. You could start off small by going to local conferences and then work your way to something as monumental as giving a public speech.
5. Florist
As a florist, you have the option to conduct much of your business online. You will be responsible for creating bouquets and designing arrangements. There are also more business-oriented tasks which include ordering products and billing customers. While you may be asked to work with customers for creating an order, you could also substitute this by having clients fulfill their order requests online. As always, you have the option to challenge yourself as well- whether that be taking phone call orders or meeting with customers face-to-face.
6. Web Designer
If you are into coding and want a job where you can work independently, web development may be a great fit for you. As a web designer, you would be responsible for constructing and maintaining websites. Like the other jobs on this list, you would be able to control your work environment and work from home.
7. Data Entry Specialist
If you are good at computers, you might find data entry to be interesting as it does not involve much interaction with others. As a data entry specialist, you would have to input data into spreadsheets and databases. Since you would most likely be working from home on the computer, you can create breaks in your schedule so you can work at your own pace without getting overwhelmed.
8. Customer Service Support
Since COVID-19, many people began working remotely and the field of customer service is no exception to the trend. This is a position where your interaction with large groups of people is limited. You may be required to speak through the phone to people or, in some cases, you may be able to email or use a chatbox to conversate. This level of interacting is often less stressful than constant face-to-face contact.
If you are interested in some more jobs that suit your SAD, read our blog “Best Jobs For People With Social Anxiety Disorder.”
Overall, living with SAD can be challenging, but it does not have to stop you from making a living and building a successful career. There are many jobs available that may suit your social anxiety. It is important to remember; however, that you should not limit yourself. For instance, you should not change your dreams to fit your anxiety. Instead, you should work on your anxiety so it does not hold you back in life. If you are struggling, it is highly recommended that you seek the help of an anxiety therapist as soon as possible.
Victoria Scala
is the Social Media Manager and Intake Coordinator at Anchor Therapy in Hoboken, New Jersey. She is a graduate of the Honors College of Rutgers University-Newark and is currently studying Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the graduate level. As a Social Media Manager at Anchor Therapy, Victoria is committed to producing content for and managing the office’s social media presence and blog.
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