Dreading social interactions, being scared to call any type of unwarranted attention to yourself, hating phone calls... can you relate? It's probably your social anxiety acting up. The irrational fear of judgement reveals itself in almost every interaction.

Social anxiety is exhausting because it affects my day-to-day life. As I get older, I have learned techniques to fight it and forget about it, but there is still an irritating black cloud hovering over my head holding me back.

From talking on the phone to speaking in class, here are 10 annoying things about social anxiety.

1. Overthinking every social interaction ever

You run into a friend and say something stupid. But to your surprise, the person didn’t even realize, and the conversation finishes on a good note. Normally, most people can automatically shrug whatever dumb thing was said off and move on.

But for some people, social anxiety doesn’t allow something embarrassing to be forgotten. Regretting saying or doing something is the worst because it causes the cycle of replaying the moment hundreds of times.

2. Phone calls

Your heart starts racing, it becomes more difficult to breathe, and you are praying that the voicemail tone plays. I have never liked talking on the phone, and contacting relatives I don't know well on the phone always gave me an abundance of nerves. Calling a store and seeing if they have something in stock? My worst nightmare. And what is most frustrating is that it always ends fine and getting worked up about it was a waste of time and energy.

3. Bumping into someone you know

When this happens, it’s even worse when you see someone you solely consider as an acquaintance. Whether it’s three seconds or fifteen seconds you have to prepare for the interaction, it’s going to be awkward either way. It seems like half of a block is equivalent to a mile.

4. Sweaty hands

When it comes to being nervous before something that might be mundane for the normal person, clammy hands seem to arrive at the worst times. This can hinder first impressions, especially in the job field. Before said handshake, you also probably battled with yourself whether or not it would be appropriate to handshake. Never knowing how to greet someone is annoying.

5. New environments

The thought of joining a new club, or going to a social event where you know few people can cause social anxiety to hold you back from new opportunities. Also, interacting with people I don't know well can change my behavior and I come off as someone I really am not.

6. Behaving too-cautious

Due to fear of embarrassment, sometimes in large-group environments, I behave extremely shy and closed-off. As hard as I try to be myself, sometimes my social skills completely shut off. Either I am mute, or scarily polite.

7. Speaking in class

Raising my hand in a lecture of 100 people may be the bain of my existence. The worst part of speaking in class is rehearsing in your head what you're going to say and making no sense when you start speaking. This is because reciting memorized ideas almost never work out how you want them too because they lack authenticity. And if you mess up or get off track, your train of thought will be completely lost.

8. Buying something at the store.

Waiting in line, memorizing your coffee order to have it come out flawlessly to the barista. But what happens? You stutter when the moment comes, and you look foolish. Also, I try to never carry cash. Why? Because it stresses me out after I’m done checking out if I take longer than five seconds to get my things in order when there is a line. Being a clumsy person doesn't help this.

9. Coming off as rude or cold

Bouncing off of number six, being around new people I don’t know well can be exhausting. If I'm not being overtly polite, I can also come off as rude and unwelcoming, when in reality I am trying my best to come off as friendly as possible. Social anxiety, you suck.

10. Doing...well, anything

And finally, social anxiety doesn’t exclude any social interaction. Whether it be seeing your best friend or a close relative, I feel anxious about the most mundane things. An example I run into often is sitting in class and having to use the bathroom or get water but being too scared to interrupt or make noise. Or asking someone with any type of authority for a favor. Sometimes it’s easier to just stay quiet, at least in my mind. The worst part about having social anxiety is knowing that it's there, and trying your best to stop it, but it always has the last word.

Life would probably be a whole lot simpler if my social anxiety wasn't apart of it.