Most people do not mind that "you are hot" kind of stare, but they really become uncomfortable when they notice that "you are weird" kind of stare. In fact, people are not so focused on you as you think, why is that? Keep reading to learn more about it.
Why Do People Stare at Me?
When you have that common question, "Why are people always staring at me?" there can be a number of explanations. For instance:
1. People stare at you when they notice something odd about your appearance
It is not about your physicality, but the way you dress up. You rarely get noticed for being skinny, fat, bold, short, Indian, Asian, or whatever in multifaceted societies, but the way you dress can make people gawk. Expect people to stare at you when you go out with unkempt hair, horrible clothing combinations, or sloppy appearance. Be sure to look at yourself in the mirror the next time you go out. Watch yourself as you would watch others.
2. Do you feel nervous and anxious in social settings?
This can distort your facial expression and that frozen, terrified look on your face can make people to stare at you. Once you realize others are staring, it makes you self-conscious and leads to more anxiety.
3. Why do people stare at me? They do not; it is just in your head
In many cases, people are not staring at all and you just perceive it that way. That is what anxiety can do to you. You know staring makes you uncomfortable, so you unconsciously notice it a lot. Sometimes, you only notice people when they gape at you. You do not notice them when they are doing other things. This timing makes you more uncomfortable. A simple solution is to pay attention to those situations when people are not staring at you.
Know That They Do Not Care About You
So, why should you care about them? You need to understand that people are running their own race and you cannot tell what is on their mind. Make yourself believe that what others say or pass whatever judgments is not going to affect your life in any way. You should also learn to avoid taking things personally. Do not always believe that people are judging you. Most of the time, they are not.
What Others Say: Many Other Possibilities
"I am an average-looking middle-aged woman and always notice people stare at me a lot. I believe this happens because I am always engaged in the world around me and look back at people with great interest. This makes them stare back at me."
"People stare at me a lot, and I know why. When I am in Korea and walk around with white people or speak in English, I get those stares from people. When I am in Europe, people sometimes stare at me because I am Asian. I did not get it exactly why people stared at me so hard when I was on the beach in Tuscany. I found that quite rude actually."
"You shouldn't really ask when you are a woman and men stare at you; men like to do that a lot. Just understand that they do not do it because they think someone is unattractive; it is in their natural. Don't mind that."
"Things are different for me. Although I have severe social anxiety and have panic attacks in social situations, I do not mind being alone in public. It makes me comfortable because I know people won't talk to me. I usually find myself staring at others. It is not like staring at them for 10 minutes – it is nothing more than a few seconds. I just do it when I see people enjoying with others. I find those people fascinating. I just love to observe people and like to notice their individual character. That is it."
What Should I Do When I Feel People Stare at Me a Lot?
Make Changes If There’s Weirdness
Why do people stare at me?It could be because you are wearing something weird. Change it and people will stop gawking at you. It is simple!However, you can try some specific strategies to stop worrying about what strangers think about you.
Pretend They Think You Are Perfect
One great strategy to overcome the anxiety you experience when people stare at you is to pretend that they think you are beautiful. You need to avoid thinking negatively. If you want to assume anything, you should assume people's best intentions. Understand that people may make negative body comments to mask their own discomfort at finding unusual bodies attractive. The idea is to somehow replace criticism from other people with compassion for them. It will change the way you think and act when you notice people gawk at you.
Change Your Perception of Yourself
It is never easy, especially when you have been victimized by people around you. It may take time to rearrange your thoughts to not berate yourself, but you should make an effort. If you do not learn to love yourself, you will keep asking, "Why do people stare at me?"One good way to stop judging yourself is to stop judging others. It works in a loop actually. What you think about yourself, you will perceive the same when you see others gawk at you. If you think your body does not look good, you will try to reinforce this thought by believing that others think the same when they stare at you. Change your thoughts about your body and your personality. Use positive affirmations to get rid of negative thoughts. Affirmations like "all bodies are good", "I am in love with myself" "My body is beautiful" will all help.
Wear Sunglasses
Since it is all happening in your mind, you can trick your brain in thinking that others are not watching you by wearing sunglasses. You need to believe that when you cannot really see others through your sunglasses, others cannot really see you either. The thought can change your life.
Learn to Fake It
Even if it makes you uncomfortable when people stare at you, behave as if you do not care. It means you should stop worrying about, "Why do people stare at me?"Learn to fake it and believe that staring does not bother you anymore. Pretend it to an extent that your brain starts to believe in it.