Living Loving Life and Addressing Social Anxiety: 3 Ways to Enjoy Evanston
Do you love where you live? We are longtime residents of Evanston and feel at home here. The community is diverse, inclusive, and accepting. You’re likely to find a liberal bent in this town which is also home to Northwestern University. Three of the biggest reasons we like living in Evanston are the lakefront, the cultural offerings, and the food! Even with all this sometimes the thought of people and exploring can get overwhelming due to social anxiety. Let’s take a deep dive into each one, so I can show you why this community just north of Chicago would win you over and help calm those anxious nerves too!
Lakefront Fun
We’ve spent our share of time on Lake Michigan. In the warmer months, our family of associates enjoys running or walking around the lake. If you love water sports, there is no shortage of activities. You can take part in kayaking, sailing, paddleboarding, or windsurfing. Along the lake in Evanston, you have your choice of 5 public beaches. Evanston works hard to provide water fun for everyone, with all beaches accessible for swimming to people with disabilities, except for Greenwood Street Beach.
History buffs will be intrigued by the Grosse Point Lighthouse located on the lake and built in 1873 by the US government to signal the approach into Chicago. You can tour the grounds and lighthouse most days of the year. Not only can you enjoy the beauty of Lake Michigan, but being in nature will help to lower your anxiety.
Cultural Arts are Calling
In addition to the lakefront, Evanston will dazzle you with the variety of cultural arts activities it offers. The Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art on the Northwestern University campus is a “dynamic, imaginative, and innovative teaching and learning resource for Northwestern and its surrounding communities.” The museum has an enlarging permanent collection together with traveling exhibitions, digital programs, and publications.
The Evanston Symphony Orchestra is now in its 75th Season. During the summer months, you can hear the orchestra at its Lakefront Pops Concert. At other times, the orchestra invites you to a free Pre-Concert Preview the Friday before the Sunday concert.
Year-round festivals and events, the downtown farmers market, concerts, theater venues, and galleries round out the lively cultural arts scene you will find in Evanston. If you would like to manage your anxiety about being in public spaces, we can help through a number of therapeutic approaches. At Evanston Counseling, we can work with you using cognitive behavioral therapy to modify your thinking and behavior patterns concerning being in public spaces. You can then take advantage of all that Evanston has to offer!
Dining with Delight
Coupled with amazing cultural offerings, dining out in Evanston will delight your senses. Indulge your sweet tooth at Beth’s Little Bake Shop, where you can pick up breakfast pastries, cupcakes, tarts, cakes, coffee, tea, and more. If you prefer to fill your plate with veggies, visit Blind Faith Café. They offer “innovative vegetarian food” for healthier eating options. Are you looking to delight your taste buds with spirits, wine, or beer? You will find a distillery (Few Spirits), breweries, a wine shop and restaurant, a cocktail bar, and a wine bar in Evanston. Have a hankering for American cuisine? You can choose from burgers, bagels, donuts, barbecue, and fried chicken. Looking to dine on international cuisine? Evanston restaurants serve Mexican, Chinese, Jamaican, Afghan, Indian, Nepalese, Italian, and Japanese food. Yum.
Learn to Live with Social Anxiety in Evanston, IL
While there is so much to enjoy in this thriving college town just north of Chicago, sometimes life gets to be overwhelming. As we have seen in the past 18 months, life can change radically very quickly. At Evanston Counseling, our team of experienced anxiety therapists can help you walk through the challenges and the joys of everyday life and social anxiety in Evanston, IL. Begin therapy for anxiety by following the steps below:
- Contact us for a free 15-minute consultation
- Speak with a compassionate anxiety therapist.
- Live a happier and calmer life today!
Other Therapy Services Offered at Evanston Counseling in Evanston, IL
Here at Evanston Counseling, we offer more than just social anxiety treatment in Evanston, IL. We have many other therapy services, including pet-assisted therapy with Bailey, our therapy dog. Hypnotherapy and hypnosis, highly researched-based forms of therapy, can help you access parts of your unconscious mind that remain hidden from your conscious awareness. We specialize in assisting those who need therapy for depression, issues for couples, therapy for chronic pain, or therapy for moms. Reach out to us at Evanston Counseling to begin making your life better. You can manage your fear and social anxiety so that you can enjoy life on the deepest levels.
