How to stop overthinking in social situations?
I have started to avoid social situations due to anxiety about things I might say. The thought of spending christmas with extended family makes me nervous, as I worry that I'll say something inappropriate. I have this fear even with my close family. This anxiety is pretty new and I sense it getting worse with lockdown. I don't want to end up spiralling so does anybody have advice?
Talking to strangers online might help, it helped me become less anxious on socializing
Ditto to the above. Having a safe or anonymous space to explore and express your feelings and consider coping strategies can be helpful. Whether that's the formal setting of counselling or the informality of online stuff, just that chance of bringing thoughts into the open to better examine them is a good starting point. I'd recommend the formal setting for your own privacy and safety.... Uni counselling /support services are probably the most easily available. But more informal stuff can be a good back-up, just so long as you are aware that the people you speak to may have motivations of their own, and not necessarily benign.
When I talk to people that I feel uncomfortable with, I think about something I do feel comfortable with, and assume it's the person I interact with. For example a teacher that really digged me and understood who I was.
