Embarrassment, rage, confusion or a sense of unease can all lead to the phenomenon of blushing. When you blush, the blood vessels in your cheeks dilate, causing your face to turn red and feel feverish. Blushing is a response of the autonomic nervous system, according to the Dear Doctor column on the University of Alabama at Birmingham Medicine Department's website, meaning your body does it without conscious direction from you. Some people blush more than others. Younger people blush more often, and the response is more evident in fair-skinned individuals. Anxiety about blushing can lead you to blush more often, but you can take steps to reduce blushing.
Step 1
Make a list of situations that trigger blushing. This could range from being called on in class to watching embarrassing commercials in mixed company.
Step 2
Avoid situations that you know lead to blushing. While it isn't always possible or practical to avoid potentially embarrassing or anxiety-producing situations, you can steer clear of the coworker who tells off-color jokes or the uncle who asks too many personal questions.
Step 3
Talk to friends or a counselor about your blushing. Cognitive therapists work with people who have phobias about things such as blushing to help them cope. One of the techniques therapists use is to help a person develop realistic views of others' responses to their behavior. For instance, while you might be very conscious of your blushing, others might not really notice. In talking with others, you may discover you're the only one who thinks your blushing is a big deal. According to University of Alabama at Birmingham Medicine Department, simply knowing others don't see your blushing as a problem can reduce your anxiety about it and therefore reduce your blushing.
Step 4
Brainstorm coping strategies. Review your list of situations that trigger blushing and think about some other responses you might employ. When the embarrassing commercials show up, you might excuse yourself to go to the ladies room. You might concentrate on something else, such as a poem you've memorized or counting backward by sevens. Go Ask Alice, the online health column presented by Columbia University, suggests you practice responses to embarrassing or awkward situations. Close your eyes and visualize yourself handling a situation calmly and without blushing. Practice telling jokes or giving a speech or any other situation that makes you blush until you can do so with a minimum of anxiety, which will reduce the chances of blushing.
Step 5
Consult your physician if blushing continues to be a problem that inhibits your social interactions. Some people respond to the use of drugs called beta blockers to relieve social anxiety and symptoms such as blushing.
Things You'll Need
- Pen and paper
