This is a practical guide on how to be less anxious. It gives you solutions that you can implement in your day-to-day life to make it more manageable, and it gets straight to the point, which I found incredibly helpful for a book like this.

This practical guide offers accessible strategies for managing social anxiety. With step-by-step guidance and easy-to-understand solutions, it helps readers build confidence and improve communication skills in various social settings, from work and school to dating and friendships.

This guide is helpful for people who struggle with negative thoughts or weak communication skills. It doesn’t address social anxiety that stems from sensory processing sensitivity.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Short and simple! This book was easy to digest, full of practical application, and had encouragement on every page.

This was a short, easy to understand book on how to handle social anxiety. There wasn't a lot of fluff or unnecessary information; it got straight to the point. This book includes helpful scenarios, practical solutions, and mindful exercises.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Empathetic, actionable, and refreshingly clear, How to Be Less Socially Anxious offers a compassionate roadmap for anyone struggling with the invisible weight of social anxiety. Megan Ashley Smith draws from her clinical expertise and personal experience to deliver a guide that’s therapeutic and empowering.

🧩 Structure & Approach
Smith organizes the book into 24 practical skills, each designed to address a specific challenge—from overthinking and fear of judgment to initiating conversations and navigating group dynamics. The tone is warm and nonjudgmental, making the book feel like a supportive companion rather than a clinical manual.

Each chapter includes:
- Real-life scenarios that illustrate common social anxieties

- Step-by-step strategies for managing discomfort

- Reflection prompts to personalize the learning

- Tools for various contexts—work, dating, friendships, and community settings

Themes & Techniques
- Cognitive Restructuring: Smith introduces techniques to challenge negative thought patterns and replace them with realistic, affirming beliefs.

- Mindfulness & Grounding: These practices are woven throughout, helping readers stay present and reduce anticipatory anxiety.

- Confidence Building: Rather than promising instant transformation, Smith emphasizes gradual growth through consistent practice and self-compassion.

Smith’s voice is both professional and personal. As a licensed clinical mental health counselor who has experienced social anxiety herself, she brings authenticity and relatability to the page. Her writing is accessible without being simplistic, and her empathy shines through in every chapter.

How to Be Less Socially Anxious is more than a self-help book—it’s a toolkit for reclaiming agency in social spaces. Whether you're navigating a crowded room, a first date, or a workplace meeting, Smith offers strategies that are both practical and emotionally intelligent. It’s ideal for readers seeking gentle guidance with real-world applicability.

When I saw this book, I thought, 'I need this.' I do have social anxiety, so I was hoping this book would give me some tips and tricks to help cope.

The book is split into two main sections. The first part shares coping strategies, while the second part offers examples and ways to use those strategies in real life. Some of the tips include how to talk to people, manage negative thoughts, and remember the SPARK acronym.

I liked that Megan Ashley Smith used realistic examples for each strategy. They were easy to understand and helped me picture how I could use them in my own life. After each strategy, she included reflection questions that made the ideas stick. I found the first part of the book more helpful than the second, since the second part repeated a lot of the same points with different examples. The sections on participation and post-event rumination stood out to me, since those are areas I struggle with most. Overall, I think this book offers useful coping strategies for anyone dealing with social anxiety.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing an advanced copy for an honest review.

If social anxiety has ever made you feel like you're stuck in your own head, How to Be Less Socially Anxious is like a friendly guide out. Megan Ashley Smith, a licensed therapist who's been there herself, offers straightforward, actionable tools to help you feel more at ease in social settings—from work meetings to first dates to casual hangouts.

The book is structured like a roadmap: clear, digestible chapters with practical exercises and real-life examples. Smith breaks down the roots of social anxiety and then walks you through strategies to challenge overthinking, build confidence, and reframe negative self-talk. Whether you're navigating awkward silences or battling the urge to cancel plans, this book gives you the skills to handle it with more ease. What I appreciate most is how relatable and validating it feels. Smith doesn't just tell you what to do—she helps you understand why you're feeling the way you do and how to respond with compassion and clarity. It's like having a conversation with a therapist who gets it.

At 160 pages, it's concise enough to read in a weekend but packed with insights you can return to whenever you need a boost. Whether you're someone who experiences social anxiety or you just want to feel more confident in everyday interactions, this book is a helpful, down-to-earth resource.

I found this to be really well-written! I definitely will use a lot of these tips in my life to help me manage my anxiety!

This book is a great one for someone who is reserved or more on the quiet side. I know, even though with my job, I do have to talk with others however, it is still a problem being anxious. I think this book helps to give you ideas, tips, and tricks to learn more about how to handle social awkwardness. This is definitely a book I recommend to anyone struggling with speaking to people

I can tell that this book is written by someone who understands anxiety simply by the straightforward way it sets up expectations for what will be experienced in the book. Because each section was briefly outlined and then followed up with reassuring tips for self-compassion, I was able to really engage with the material.

How to Be Less Socially Anxious is not only an informational reference for understanding what social anxiety actually is, but also part journal for reflecting and part road map for developing different relationships in day to day life. I definitely recommend keeping a journal on hand when going through part one! As the author points out, developing coping skills for social anxiety is a gradual process, and I'm glad I have the prompts to reflect on throughout my own journey.

I enjoyed part 1 the most, but I'm sure the scenarios described in part 2 will be helpful for other readers!

Thank you for the gift that was this book – it was an easy 5-star to give!

Reading this book felt like having a conversation with a supportive and understanding therapist. As someone who has experienced social anxiety since childhood, I couldn't help but wish I had discovered a resource like this earlier in life. The author presents ideas in a way that is both approachable and easy to read, offering clear, actionable advice for real-life situations that many of us can relate to.
While some of the strategies were familiar, this book served as a valuable refresher, reinforcing important concepts while introducing fresh advice. One of my favorite takeaways was the SPARK method, which provides tips on how to initiate conversations—something that can feel daunting for those of us who struggle with social interactions. Chapter 3, in particular, stood out for its practical guidance on engaging with others. Whether you're looking for new insights or simply a reassuring voice to help guide you through social challenges, this book is a worthwhile read.

I thought this book would be helpful to me in some situations. Evidently, I don't have that much of an issue with being socially anxious. I do pretty well being in front of others and speaking, this year I even started a book club at work and I have no problems doing this. Plus, I am a quiet and introverted person and don't see a problem being this way. I don't overthink too much, I am confident, and maybe not thrive in social situations but I do just fine to me. Maybe this book isn't exactly for me but I did get some benefits from reading this. I have been reading on and off for about a month (even though I put it as reading it today). It was good and had lots of exercises to work on, for those who needed it. A class I took in college was the best for me and that was public speaking. It made me do the things in this book that really helped me. So the skills you learn are good ones.

Thank you to Zeitgeist (through Netgalley) for the copy of this book.

How to Be Less Socially Anxious by Megan Ashley Smith is a compassionate and highly accessible guide for anyone who struggles with social situations. Whether you're anxious about speaking up at work, navigating friendships, or just making small talk, Smith breaks down the overwhelming into the manageable with clear, step-by-step strategies.

The book shines in its practicality. It doesn’t overpromise or lean into vague self-help jargon—instead, it offers grounded, relatable examples and tools that are easy to apply in real life. Smith’s tone is encouraging without being patronizing, and she strikes a good balance between educating readers on the roots of social anxiety and offering solutions that feel achievable. The inclusion of real-world scenarios across different life contexts (work, dating, community) makes the content especially versatile.

While the book may not introduce radically new psychological concepts for readers familiar with CBT or anxiety management, its strength lies in simplicity and empathy. This is an excellent starter resource for those looking to take control of social anxiety without feeling overwhelmed.

A solid, approachable primer that delivers on its promise—making readers feel seen and supported as they work toward social confidence.

While this did not help me with my root issue, this book gives many coping tactics. There are plans on how to get ready for certain situations and what to say. This is a really helpful book.

First, thank you to Penguin Random House and Zeitgeist for the complimentary review copy!

How to be Less Socially Anxious is a great guidebook and workbook for people wanting to start tackling their inner critic! Megan Ashley Smith, LCMHC, NCC is a licensed clinical mental health therapist and has put together a great resource for people, like myself, who struggle with social anxiety.

Smith starts by describing what social anxiety can feel like, the effects it can have on a person and several aspects of their life. But the real purpose of the book is her practical skills and the real-life scenario workshops! With an approachable writing style and clear methodology, Smith guides the socially anxious through conquering the inner critic, navigating work holiday parties, and building confidence in oneself.

This felt more like a workbook guide than a traditional book, and I would've appreciated real life rather than only theoretical examples, but for what it is, this has a lot of important information. For example, the CLEAR acronym (Challenge, Learn, Evaluate, Adjust, Reframe) seems useful. The skills were explained well and repeated often so information could be fully absorbed. Smith is obviously knowledgeable as a guide, but the language is accessible without being condescending.

This is a wonderful resource for anyone dealing with social anxiety. It includes several pages of worksheets with questions and charts to help highlight and pinpoint what is the individual’s underlying reasons for the anxiety. It also had several pages focusing on reflection as well. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was an interesting read. It gave great advice but was a little confusing on how to implement it. How to Be Less Socially Anxious would work best with a workbook to go with each topic. There were some spot that indicated a possible workbook, but I didn't have one through this ebook.

I do think this book could be helpful to some.

How to Be Less Socially Anxious by Megan Ashley Smith is a practical and insightful guide to overcoming social anxiety. Drawing on her expertise as a licensed counselor, Smith offers clear strategies and techniques to help readers manage anxiety in social situations. The book is supportive and empowering, providing tools for building confidence, improving communication, and developing healthier mindsets. It’s a valuable resource for anyone looking to better understand and manage social anxiety.

Smith combines psychological concepts with practical tips, presenting the information in a way that's easy for readers dealing with social anxiety to grasp.

She highlights the importance of self-awareness, introduces cognitive-behavioral strategies, and advocates for gradually facing anxiety-provoking situations.

Her writing style is straightforward and uplifting, enriched with relatable stories that foster a sense of understanding.

This book is ideal for those looking for practical methods to manage anxiety rather than instant solutions. Ultimately, it’s a valuable resource for anyone aiming to feel more at ease and genuine in social environments.