Shyness is experienced by many individuals, and is described as having feelings of uneasiness or nervousness whilst in the company of other people, especially those you do not know. If you consistently find yourself feeling such things, and wish to stop being shy, then continue reading for simple steps you can take to reduce your shyness and improve your confidence in social situations.

How to Stop Being Shy in 7 Steps

For people who are shy, it is easy to think that it is just a part of your personality and not possible to change. This is not true. One must first ascertain if or why you want to change, do you want to improve your social relationships? Do you want to become a social icon amongst your peers? What you should always remember is that everyone is different, and in some instances, your aspirations may be unattainable for one reason or another. That being said, you can most definitely take steps to reduce the amount of shyness you experience and greatly improve your skills in social situations. Below is some useful advice on how to do just this.
1

Face Your Fears

One of the best ways to overcome shyness is to expose oneself to various social situations. Whilst this may seam counterproductive, as such situations are what cause feelings of nervousness one may assume it is best to deal with one’s shyness before attempting to socialize. In fact, putting oneself in social situations can work to build your confidence and reduce your shyness as you become more accustomed to meeting new people and conversing with others. Whilst at first it may seam hard, after persevering throughout the initial stages of nervousness, your confidence should begin to grow as you learn, through practice and experience, how to stop being shy.

2

Change Your Thoughts

Whilst this is easier said than done, there are ways in which you can target negative thoughts and take steps to improve positive thinking in regards to yourself and your social skills. The first thing you need to do is detect these negative thoughts and know that they are often based on a fallacy. For example, one may think “I’m coming across as a nervous wreck to these people”, however, in most cases, people aren't judging you or focusing enough on your minute expressions to be able to ascertain your nervousness. It is important to know that these thoughts are nothing but negative worry that will only exacerbate your shyness. Targeting such thoughts and knowing that they are often irrational will help to improve your confidence.

3

Focus On Others

Whilst it is incredibly easy to over-analyze yourself and your actions, it can be extremely helpful to look more outward, focusing on the behavior of others. This can have numerous benefits, as it will not only help you to take your mind off of negative thoughts that exacerbate nervousness and therefore shyness, you can also see how other people deal with social situations and learn from them by observing their behavior and characteristics. Of course, you should never stare at others as this is often considered rude behavior, you should also avoid copying someone completely as this will limit your ability to self-express and decrease your individuality, both beautiful traits that should not be hindered. In fact, learning how to express oneself and

4

Focus On Your Strengths

It is incredibly easy to focus on your flaws if you are a shy person, especially in social situations. You may believe that you were acting weird or said something awkward and find yourself dwelling on such things. In such cases, first remember that even if you did say something slightly strange, the majority of people will not judge you or care about it at all (as long as you weren't offensive), so don't worry about it. Instead of focusing on your perceived flaws, focus on your known strengths. Do you have vast knowledge about quantum mechanics? If so, try to spark an interesting conversation about it. Are you a great singer? If so, share your talent with others and watch how much they appreciate you for doing so. This will help you feel more socially accepted, as well as appear more interesting to others, helping to quell shy tendencies and boost your confidence.

5

Work On Your Anxiety

Shyness is essentially a trait that is determined by an individual who is socially anxious, so working to resolve your anxiety can help to limit or eradicate your shyness. There are many things one can do to reduce levels of anxiety, including deep breathing, exercise, positive talk and self-motivation, healthy eating, meditation, among others.

6

Help To Put Others At Ease

Introducing yourself to those who you don't know but are a part of your social group, or paying someone sincere compliments, can help to put their own minds at ease and minimize any social anxiety they may be feeling. This will help you gain and practice people skills and social skills, as well as improve your relationship with those in your social group and improve the way that they perceive you and your character, all of which will help you to overcome your shyness.

7

Remember That It Takes Time

As the old saying goes, “Rome wasn't built in a day”, and one’s shyness and social anxiety will not dissipate or become non-existent immediately. If you follow the tips in this article and continue practicing how to stop being shy, you will most definitely see positive improvements after time. No matter how long it takes, keep going, you will soon reap the benefits of your new found confidence and be on your way to a happy social life.

The following video shows more tricks to stop shyness in 60 seconds with step-by-step instruction:

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