Many suffer from anxiety and social shyness. I still find it hard sometimes to start a conversation with someone I don’t know. It’s a crippling feeling, being stuck in fear and not able to make the most at a party or even leave your house.
These are eight practice tips that are grounded on experience and reality. These are eight things that you can do today that will make a drastic difference in your confidence and in your social interaction with people. Anxiety can't always be overcome, but you can still work to have an awesome lifestyle.
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1. Work on your body.
If you're unhappy with the way you look and are unhappy with the way your body feels, then change it. Go to a gym, sign up for fitness classes, Zumba or yoga class. Whatever interests you, you need to take action by changing the way your body feels. Make yourself stronger by lifting weights or swimming classes. For me, I tend to make excuses when it comes to working out, so I bring a friend to get that accountability.
2. Change the way you dress.
Maybe you need to buy decent fitted clothes. Go into a store, a nice retailer, and pick clothes that suit your body type and skin and hair color. That will create a drastic difference in how you feel, because changing your outward appearances can sometimes transcend into changing your inner feelings.
3. Change your hair.
Get a grooming or a haircut. If you have shaggy hair that you haven’t changed in six months and you haven’t bothered to get a haircut, then you're sending a message that people can perceive as lazy, untreated and irresponsible.
4. Join a meetup.
Get involved in groups and community wherever you can to exercise your social muscle by speaking and connecting with people. A year ago, I joined a men’s group that was grounded in Biblical manhood and overcoming anxiety. Find a group that is grounded in social anxiety. This way you know you're joining people in overcoming their fear, too.
5. Volunteer.
Exercise the gratitude muscle. Go to a homeless shelter. Volunteer at a church or animal shelter. Go to a situation and be grateful for what you have. Learn to be grateful for the life that you have and see others who are truly suffering. It can be humbling but it will surely give you perspective.
6. Join improv classes.
People that go to improv are socially anxious and looking to improve their confidence. Again, you will be put on the spot and find yourself in the same boat as those around you.
7. Join a dance class.
Latin American, salsa, hip-hop, ballet, street, jazz. Whatever it is. the motion will always create emotion. So when you get out there and you're moving and feeling again, you'll be sweating in a room full of strangers. It's a practical tip: you'll get your body moving while being in a social environment, and it's going to be good for you.
8. Lastly, get out and have hundreds of interactions and tons of conversations.
Meet men and women. Approach everybody and speak to everyone. You'll have so many opportunities throughout the day by applying these tips and having conversations with different people. Think of it as performing on stage. By placing yourself in a little bit of pressure, it will challenge you to work your way up out of anxiety.
