5 Easy Steps to Feeling Comfortable in Social Situations
5 Easy Steps to Feeling Comfortable in Social Situations
Interacting with people you hardly know, or don’t know at all, can make anyone feel anxious and insecure. Most would like to overcome social timidity that prevents them from completely enjoying themselves at social engagements. This can be accomplished quite simply by following these five simple steps.
- Believe in yourself. –You have a 50/50 choice. You can embrace who you are or wrestle with who you are. Other people are wrestling with the same thoughts we are about ourselves. So choose the positive choice of thinking about the good qualities and attributes you have to offer up in a social situation. Just take one social situation at a time, and forge ahead with good thoughts and expectations of interacting with ease and grace. It’s important to be comfortable with who you are. When you feel good about yourself, you find it more enjoyable to be around others. Furthermore, when you experience self-assurance, you’ll like sharing your thoughts and add value to conversations.
- Practice. – There are numerous circumstances in day to day living that offer opportunities to practice social skills. Make it a point to strike up a conversation with the people we encounter on an everyday basis~ at the grocery store, doctor’s office, sporting events, etc. You’ll soon find that social interaction with unfamiliar people becomes easier the more you put it into practice.
- Focus on others. – The easiest way to make conversation with someone is to ask them general questions about their life and keep them talking until you find common ground. A simple place to start is by commenting on something you observe about them, i.e. Are you a Yankee, Yorkie, Yo Yo Fan? or “I love your shoes. Where did you buy them?” Then, allow the conversation to take a natural course. All you have to do is be willing to get the dialog started.
- Relax. – Forget about the “what ifs” that may never come to fruition, like “What if the conversation ends after one question?” That’s okay. Perhaps the next social encounter will last longer and so on. Set goals for yourself and then make it a point to achieve them. Choose to make one new friend or several, speak to someone new at work or engage in a group conversation. Most important, be true to yourself. Let people get to know the real you.
- Be honest. - Never pretend to know more than you actually do. Be straightforward and ask for an explanation if someone is talking about something you are unfamiliar with. They won’t think you foolish; they will respect you more for you honesty.
It’s normal to experience social anxiety if you’re at an event where you know few people. But now you have a few tools to overcome and discover your inner confidence so you can experience life to its fullest potential.
Wishing you much happiness and success!
Patricia Rossi, America’s Etiquette and Protocol Coach, www.patriciarossi.com
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