Trying to be more outgoing/social?

[Mila]

Are there any good methods for this? I am a pretty quite and shy person offline. I have to really get to know someone before I can open up and start having a conversation. This has made things pretty awkward for me at social gatherings, even with family. If I don't see them often enough I don't know how to interact with them. I want to change this though. 

[StanleyZEN]

Being social can be tough to handle. I'm not the most social butterfly either, but I think one way to get over it, is to challenge yourself. I have joined a few online communities, especially on discord, and found that just popping into a voice chat, can be helpful. Just adventure out there and challenge yourself. I found doing this, I am way more social and comfortable in voice chats. Even doing meetings isn't as bad as it used to be. 

[James]

You really have to put yourself out there. 

I have the same problem. Lucky enough to get to work at the home office a majority of the time. Although in a couple of weeks I will be back at my retail store office while we figure some things out. 

The way I approached getting out more was I started looking for interesting educational experiences within the local community. 

So I ended up going to a class that introduced us to our local police department. That led to a 8 week series of classes that led to being a member of a non profit that supports the local police department. The non profit provides plenty of opportunity to get out there with the community to meet new acquaintances. 

Get your feet wet slowly and see where it leads. 

[Scarlett]

Something you can give a try is hosting a small gathering. Since COVID issues are letting up, you can invite people over. Friends, family, or a mix of both. Get a good amount of people at your place and host the event. You will be in charge of the situation and conversations more. It will help you feel more comfortable in your own space too.