Are you starting a new job and have an anxiety disorder? If you have social anxiety, you may be concerned about fitting in with your new co workers. You may have concerns that your fellow employees may not accept you. Here are three things you can try to help you get started with your new job and most importantly to help you get along with your new team members.

The first thing you can do is don’t try too hard or over think out how to appear normal. Focus on your work. Trying to hard be normal takes too much energy to do on a daily basis. In fact, two things may actually happen. One is you’ll focus less on the work you’re hired to do and two, you may actually appear not normal because you’re not filling your position correctly. So it’s really a counter productive process. You can actually put off your new fellow co workers.

Now you should take note that even though you may feel uncomfortable in new work environment, it’s not as bad as you may think. After all, they are meeting you for the first time and they don’t know who you are either. If a co worker comes over to speak with you, don’t worry. They are just trying to get to know you. Avoid making up stories in your head about the people you are working with. This way you are not as apprehensive in conversation.

When in conversation with your new coworker, pretend you are talking to a family member, like a brother and sister. You will have better empathy in your voice and you’ll appear more personable. Now remember you want to appear more personable but you don’t want to be too personal. There is a difference between the two.

When you’re personable, you are pleasant to be around and considered friendly. This is a very good appearance to have when you are on the job. You are noticed better by your peers and possibly by the person you report too.

The thing you need to look out for is being too personal during conversation. Getting to personal can get you in undesirable situations or conflicts. You can possibly insult some one without even knowing it. Keep in mind the other side to this is that people may try to be too personal to you. While, this can cause anxiety problems for you right then and there, remember keep the conversation light. When someone is trying get a personal conversation with you and you don’t know the person, you are better off keeping your answers vague or you can politely not answer any questions you are not comfortable answering.

Finally, we should address large group social settings. Probably most of us that have anxiety in social situations are very quiet and reserved in a large group social setting. The first thing you need to do is not worry about what people think of you. Also keep in mind when speaking to others try have eye contact with the person you are speaking to. If you notice that others are paying attention to you, then occasionally look at the rest of the group while you’re speaking.

While the three suggestions above may be tough to do initially, it’s worth practicing because you’ll gain confidence each time you do it. Eventually you may be able to over come some of your phobias at work.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is intended to provide an opinion. The information in this article is not a substitute for specific medical advice. It is highly recommended you seek a physician for medical advisement.