There seems to be no solution for that embarrassing blush that appears on the cheeks every time you meet the person you like, when you hear a vulgar joke, or when you make a mistake; in fact, it doesn't have to be that way. Some people blush in social situations that embarrass them; others blush for no reason, triggering a vicious cycle of further embarrassment. Some people even fear it: it's called erythrophobia, the fear of blushing. If you feel this blushing is having too much of a negative impact on your social interactions and you want to fix the problem, read on for tips on how to avoid it.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Preventing Redness in the Moment
Step 1. Avoid this by relaxing your body
When you happen to blush, you can try to relax the muscles (especially those of the shoulders and neck) to start regaining the right color. Try to release the tension you feel. Maintain an upright posture, with your legs balanced.
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To relax, try:
- Remember to inhale and exhale (deeply, if you can).
- Remind yourself that this is not the first time you have blushed and it probably won't be the last; this way you may find some comfort, although it sounds a bit strange.
- To smile; it makes the cheeks a natural red color and also makes us feel happy, thus destroying any social anxiety.
Avoid Blushing Step 2 Step 2. Don't think about it too much
Many people think too much about the blush that is flaring up on their cheeks and thus end up amplifying their social anxieties. Research shows that the more you think about the redness of your cheeks, the more you blush. If you could find a way not to think about it, you would blush less!
Avoid Blushing Step 3 Step 3. Try to draw attention to your blush
If a person goes on a date and does something incredibly embarrassing, one way to save the day might be to draw attention to just that: "Well, this was embarrassing. I swear I'm not always that awkward!" By doing this, you unmask the embarrassment, which usually vanishes almost immediately. You can do the same thing with your blush.
Obviously it is not something you can do always and in every situation; consider it as a tool that you can use from time to time. Often your redness gets worse because you are afraid that other people will discover your anxiety; if you play it down before others have time to notice, you will no longer have a reason to blush
Avoid Blushing Step 4 Step 4. Try thinking exercises
To help you feel fresher (physically, but also mentally) and distract yourself from your blush, try several mental exercises:
- Imagine diving into a frozen lake and swimming to the bottom, feeling the cold water on your skin. It will help cool you down and should help you relax a little.
- Imagine other people are in their underwear. For some strange reason, this old trick always works! It is useful for putting everyone present on the same level and makes you understand that anyone can make mistakes. It might even make you smile!
- Compare your situation with that of other people around the world. You feel embarrassed because you have to stand up and speak in front of the whole class, but that's nothing compared to what someone struggling for their life or for food has to go through. Remember how lucky you are.
Method 2 of 2: Preventing Long-Term Redness
Avoid Blushing Step 5 Step 1. Try to understand what blushing means:
it happens when too much blood involuntarily rushes to the face, usually due to some social anxiety. Those who blush often sweat. The redness is concentrated on the face because it is the place on the body with the greatest amount of capillaries and blood vessels.
- The redness is not always caused by "social" reasons; many people blush because they are uncomfortable in social interactions, but others have no apparent reason. This type of uncontrolled redness is called idiopathic craniofacial erythema.
- There are also people who are afraid of blushing (erythrophobia); to overcome this problem it is necessary to consult an expert.
Avoid Blushing Step 6 Step 2. Just try to prevent it if possible
You have to find out what are the situations in which you blush: when you get angry or when you are upset? When do you look at someone you like? Or do you blush when the focus is on you? Actually, you don't have to avoid these situations, just try to realize that there is no reason to blush under these circumstances. This is the first step to avoid the embarrassment of blushing.
Make a list of all the times you've had this problem recently, especially in social situations. Take note of what happened. Did they make fun of you? Did people notice it? In most cases, normal people don't think redness is a problem and don't pay attention to it. And why should they? It's not something you can control. Begin to think that the redness is not as important as you think
Avoid Blushing Step 7 Step 3. Don't feel responsible if you blush
Whatever you do, Not feel responsible for it: it is involuntary. Get your mind used to understanding that you have nothing to do with this autonomous body reaction; it's not your fault. If you don't feel guilty, chances are you'll blush less often.
Avoid Blushing Step 8 Step 4. Stop thinking about it
Not only is it possible that your redness is less noticeable than you think, but also remember that many people think it is a nice thing. There are advantages to being a person who blushes; between these:
- People who notice this will be more understanding of you, which will lighten their "social judgment" about you. Seen this way, blushing can help you bond better with others.
- Researchers argue that those who blush are more inclined to relationships, noting higher levels of monogamy and trustworthiness.
Avoid Blushing Step 9 Step 5. Train hard to avoid embarrassing yourself
Your face will have a color that will look more "normal" and you may lower your body's blood pressure so much that you become immune to redness (if you train for at least half an hour to 2 hours). Even if the redness from training disappeared, this temporary immunity would last.
Avoid Blushing Step 10 Step 6. Find techniques to help you relax
Prepare body and mind to relax before blushing, through meditation and gentle gymnastics. Feeling relaxed and thinking that you are in control could help prevent redness.
- Try yoga; it is the perfect exercise for body and mind that will help you focus and stimulate your body so that the blood flows throughout the body and not just in the face. Try different types of yoga, there are dozens of them; find the one that works for you.
- Try gentle meditation. The word meditation can have different meanings. Just try to become aware of your body and take this awareness out of yourself to help you free yourself. First, focus on the thoughts in your head and then gradually shift your awareness to the confines of your body, until you perceive it as a whole.
Advice
- Drink lots of water! Many times he blushes from dehydration.
- If you want to avoid blushing for a particular event, such as a speech, drink a bottle of fresh water 5 or 10 minutes beforehand. Drink it quickly, but not fast enough that you feel bad. This way your redness will stop for about half an hour (it really works!) But don't do it too many times in a day or even in general or you could damage your bladder!
- Breath deeply; helps prevent and disperse redness.
- If no advice works, forget everything and remember that many people think blushing is cute. It is an advantage, not a defect!
- Yawn or cough! Pretend you have something in your eye.
- By talking about your tendency to blush you will be able to no longer consider it as a problem!
- Ask an old friend of the opposite sex to tell you things that make you blush until you can control your reaction.
- Try coughing every time you blush.
- Think of something fun.
- Practice in front of the mirror to make it disappear.
Warnings
- Trying to hide the redness could make things worse.
- Do not detach yourself from everything to try to always be calm.
- Don't focus on the redness and what might happen, as you will enter a vicious circle blushing more and more. Relax, stay calm and avoid thinking about it.
- Remember: if you are a teenager, the redness could be caused by hormonal changes.
