I've been thinking of writing a post about shyness for a while now, because I realised that a few years ago I was painfully shy, but somewhere along the line I seemed to have grown out of it.. I'm not saying I'm perfect, I'm still completely socially awkward! But the point is I don't let that stop me, and I still talk to people even if I end up looking stupid, make any sense?!
So I've been thinking about what helped me overcome being shy, and I've put together to help some of you if any of you need it. I often read that bloggers are either shy or socially awkward, so blogging is obviously our way of expressing ourselves!
1. Do things that scare you.
If you do things that scare you, they won't scare you anymore and as a result you receive a huge boost of confidence by conquering something you were afraid of! I have always been a home bird and was terrified of moving away to university, but I forced myself to do it because I knew I would gain a lot of independence and much needed life skills. I also made myself do Camp America even though it made me feel sick every time I thought about it, because I knew I would regret it forever if I didn't.
2. Talk to people.
Wether this be at school, your new job or just on the bus, make an effort to speak to people. No one will think you're weird if you speak to them, even if you just ask them how they are or talk about the weather, they'll be happy that you made the effort and it will soon become so much easier for you and you'll make new friends! Plus again that added confidence boost of doing something that scares you.
3. Fake it.
Even if you don't feel confident, and you feel like digging a hole for yourself and hiding in it, just hold your head up and walk tall. Smile at people and make eye contact. There you are, you're faking it! People will think you're confident, and you won't feel as shy because of it. Never walk with your head down, you're worthy of the world and you should see and enjoy it.
4. Don't be afraid to speak up.
I know if you're shy, putting your hand up in a lesson or at a meeting can be the worse thing ever. And confronting someone if they've done something out of order is just unthinkable! But if you have something to say, say it (within reason). It will make you feel better, because in that class or meeting someone else will just get the credit if you don't speak up first, and not confronting people can lead to awkwardness and you don't want to be pushed over. People will respect you if you speak up occasionally.
5. Confidence comes with age.
Don't worry about being shy forever, you might be terrified of talking to the opposite sex now, or the thought of having to sit through a job interview just seems impossible, but really as you grow as a person these things will just come natural to you. They won't scare you anymore one day and this just naturally happens as you grow up, your confidence grows too!
I hope these tips have helped, I think overcoming shyness is just about consistently pushing yourself out of your comfort zone in order to gain confidence. It's that simple! Be proud of yourself and your abilities and feel worthy of other people's attention, because you are.
What tricks do you use when you're feeling shy?
