You walk into a room full of people you don’t know—the music stops, the room goes silent and every single head has turned to look at you. Your heart beats fast and your mind races as you awkwardly find your place while all eyes focus on you—or so you think. Really, that's what is going on inside of your socially anxious mind. None of that really happened—it’s just how you felt walking into that room.

People often joke about social anxiety. We make fun of our friends when they are socially awkward. We call people “anti-social” and laugh when they fail at conversations in social settings. We even try to laugh at ourselves when we have awkward silences, say something dumb, or feel publicly embarrassed. Even though we laugh it off like it’s not a big deal, the truth is—it can be a serious issue in many people’s lives.

According to the Social Anxiety Institute, by definition, social anxiety is “the fear of interaction with other people that brings on self-consciousness, feelings of being negatively judged and evaluated, and, as a result, leads to avoidance.”

For people who struggle with social anxiety, it seems easier to isolate yourself from the world rather than put yourself out there to communicate collectively. It prevents many from stepping outside of their comfort zone. When dealing with social anxiety and awkwardness, it’s always important to remember to just laugh things off. It’s really OK to laugh at yourself. We are all human and life is way too short to worry about what people think. Most of us can relate to saying or doing something awkward around someone we really liked or people we didn’t know. Here are five feelings socially awkward people can relate to:

1. Everyone is looking at you

...Or so you think. One of the most common symptoms socially anxious people deal with consists of imagining what isn't real. The National Institute for Health Research and Mental Health Biomedical Research Centre at South London conducted a study in 2014 to investigate how socially anxious individuals feel as though they are always being watched. As a result, the team concluded that these individuals overestimated the number of people looking at them in social settings. This study highlights the significant difference between those who are the center of attention vs. those who have self-focused attention, which results in anxiousness. Many who suffer from social anxiety are overly critical of themselves and that reflects in the illusion they create in social settings where they feel as though everyone is judging them. If you deal with this problem it is SO important to be consciously aware that it is all in your head. The first step is to clear your mind; erase the worries that cloud it when you're in public. The second step is to work on not giving a damn about what people think.

2. You say awkward things when put on the spot

Even in casual conversations sometimes. Like when you see someone in passing and blurt out the most random thing you could think of in those few seconds, then can't even remember what you said immediately after it happened. Or when your social skills go on auto-pilot because you can't seem to steer the conversation, so you say redundant phrases like "that's cool" or "wow, really?" It's OK because we all do it and that's what is important to remember. Humans thrive off conversation, it's natural to have some weird ones.

3. You feel like you're always being judged

Caring about what people think is a huge contributor to anxiety. Although it's mostly an illusion, the thought of social humiliation burdens the socially anxious mind like none other. When you feel as though all eyes are on you, all you can do is ignore it and know how good the mind is at playing tricks on you. If someone is staring, take it as a compliment instead of a negative perception.

4. The thought of speaking in public makes you want to die

Let's be real, we all hated speech class. Public speaking is a frightening thought to many when it comes to the pressure of talking in front of a large crowd, but social anxiety is bigger than that. Talking in front of any crowd at all, regardless of size, makes you want to cower in fear. Even when you're talking in a circle of your closest friends, if someone puts you on the spot to talk, the nerves start kicking in. This comes with time and comfort, but most of all—confidence. Have faith in yourself.

5. You overthink everything

Sometimes our minds get the best of us and we can be our own worst enemy. That is why communication is the key to coping. The best treatment is to keep close relationships with friends and family, ease yourself into relaxing or low-key social settings, or even consider seeking therapy to at least have an unbiased person to vent to. About 15 million American adults have Social Anxiety Disorder, so just know you are not alone.