About 80% of people say they have experienced periods of profound shyness during childhood and adolescence.  About half of the people that say they were shy when they were younger grow out of the problem.

 Shyness can be a passing phenomena, re-emerging in adolescence or during a troubled time of life.

The main symptoms of shyness are closely connected to social anxiety.  These include physical and psychological discomfort, inhibition, excessive self -focus of self-consciousness, being preoccupied with thoughts, feelings and physical reactions.

The first type of shyness is the sense of wariness that children start to feel unsure with strangers at a young age.  Therefore, it is common in the universal it occurs in all cultures and there seems to be no way of preventing it from happening or the need to. During childhood, babies learn to interact with strangers and work out whether they are at risk and some take longer than others to come out of this situation.

The second form of shyness is more closely linked to social anxiety. Inhibition or concern about being evaluated and judged by other people.  Shyness is more likely to develop if your fear or wariness around strangers was slow to disappear as children.

Shyness and introversion

Introverts work best in quiet environments. They do not seek out the excitement and energy from social interaction as often as extroverted people but find satisfaction and energy from time alone.

 They differ from people who associate access in their social life as it is not something that makes them fearful and nervous as much as something that they enjoy in a calm and quiet way.

 Introverts make good listeners, enjoy public speaking and be good leaders. 

 Shy extroverts find it relatively easy to become engaged in social activities that are well structured and they know what is expected of them.

A shy introverted person may suffer less than shy extroverts as many activities that they enjoyed doing can be satisfied while being carried out alone or in smaller groups.

 The effects of shyness

·      Self-conscious and Self-aware

·       Part of it being evaluated negatively being judged criticise

·       perceive being inadequate unlovable or unattractive

·       avoidance and withdraw a sense of inward shrinking not getting involved

·       self-protection behaving in ways intended to keep them safe like speaking quietly wearing inconspicuous clothing

·       finding it hard to take the initiative ought to be assertive

·       feeling anxious apprehensive frustrated unhappy

·       physical symptoms such as blushing and other signs of nervousness