Most people with social anxiety don't look like they have social anxiety.

They show up. They function. They get through the day.

But on the inside, before every social situation, during it, and long after it's over, something exhausting is happening.

The monitoring. The self-scrutiny. The replay. The dread.

In this episode, Gary Johannes, solution focused hypnotherapist, founder of Inspired To Change, and MSc in Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health, breaks down what social anxiety actually is, what's happening in your brain when it kicks in, what keeps it going, and what actually helps.

This isn't generic advice. It's a clear, honest explanation of one of the most misunderstood conditions there is and one practical thing you can do today to start shifting it.

If social anxiety has been quietly shaping your decisions and shrinking your world this episode is for you.

TIMELINE

00:00 — Introduction & Gary's story

01:30 — What social anxiety actually is — and why it's not just shyness

03:30 — The gap between what you know and what you feel

05:00 — What's happening in your brain — the amygdala and the threat response

07:00 — The self-monitoring spiral — why you can't just relax in social situations

08:30 — The replay — what happens after and why it's so exhausting

10:00 — What causes social anxiety — biology, early experience, and social media

12:30 — What keeps it going — avoidance, safety behaviours, and withdrawal

16:00 — What actually helps — the solution-focused approach

18:00 — The preferred future — where the work starts

19:30 — Rebuilding gradually — how the brain actually changes

22:00 — One thing you can do right now

24:00 — The closing message — you're not broken, you're stuck