When it comes to social situations, we all sometimes find ourselves in awkward situations, whether it is meeting new people at a social gathering or the parents of our significant other. However, for some of us, this awkwardness makes us feel like we are being judged for every word we speak, and it can extend to nearly every social interaction we engage in.
This can make it difficult to deal with the even mundane social interactions necessary in our daily lives. Fortunately, there is hope, and you can take steps to becoming more confident in social situations and reducing those feelings of awkwardness.
Be Yourself
It is crucial to remember that you do not need to act like someone you are not in order to feel confident around others. After all, how can you feel confident if you are not comfortable being yourself? When you are confident in who you are, research has shown that self-esteem is boosted and stress levels decrease. So, no matter how nervous and uneasy you may feel, stay true to who you are, and confidence will soon follow.
Monitor Your Body Language
The body language that you present to others says a lot about how you are feeling, which can significantly impact your conversations with others. No matter how you are feeling at the moment, holding your head up high and lifting those shoulders can go a long way toward improving your conversations with others. A warm handshake and a smile will also help others to feel welcome and engaged. This, in turn, will pay off in helping you really feel more confident and comfortable.
Ask Questions About Others
When it comes to social situations, the way a conversation moves forward is crucial to becoming more relaxed and comfortable in engaging with others. A great way to help the conversation go smoothly is to ask questions about the people you are talking with. This will help you think about more things to say and help you to build common ground with other people, which will reduce the stress of meeting new people.
Keep Your Boundaries in Mind
Chances are you have been in an awkward situation where others have overshared personal details or invaded your personal space. This can cause a great deal of embarrassment and end an otherwise positive social interaction. It is great to share details about yourself, but remember that it is important to maintain appropriate boundaries so everyone can feel comfortable.
Be Intentional
Saying everything that comes to mind in every social situation is not a good way to overcome your anxiety. Instead, it is better to take an intentional approach to build your social skills. By intentionally going into social situations with the goal of becoming more social, you can build your confidence with every successful step, and soon you will feel much more comfortable.
Prepare in Advance
To overcome your nervousness about an upcoming social situation, it can help a lot to build a plan about how you will approach it. This will help you to feel more secure, knowing what you can expect. This may not always be possible, but you will often be able to get an idea about how an event will play out, such as a timeline of the event. Gaining just a little bit of insight on how a situation will go can give you a bit more confidence for when the time arrives.
Start Small and Work Your Way Up
When it comes to overcoming feelings of discomfort and awkwardness in social situations, the fact is that the more you engage in these situations, the more comfortable you will feel. On this note, it is important to challenge yourself to engage in more social interactions regularly, and you should start small. It is often best to begin in small structured social situations where everyone can feel comfortable. A great way to do this is through remote social skills training, where you can engage with others who are similarly trying to build their social skills in a safe, judgment-free environment.
Final Thoughts
It is important to be able to feel comfortable engaging in social situations. Not only will this help you to feel happier engaging with your existing friends and family, but it will also help you to build successful personal and professional relationships in the future. Remember that building your social skills will take time, so don’t feel discouraged just because your feel uncomfortable engaging in social experiences now. Continue to practice, and with time, you will find yourself becoming more and more comfortable.
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