Most people have experienced walking into a room full of people, while feeling self-conscious and awkward, whatever the situation may be. Regardless of whether you are reserved or a vociferous person, every person can relate to ‘that’ feeling of being shy at some point in their lives. The common misconception is that, only quiet people feel shy. However, this is not the case. Shyness is an emotion that almost each one of us has felt in our lives, at some point of time or other. Though, at times, it is considered positive and a sign of innocence, class and decency, it can become a cause of worry, especially if prolonged. There are many people who suffer from shyness and are unable to represent themselves fully in front of others. Shyness can bring problems in personal, professional and emotional relations, where it is necessary to interact and exhibit your feelings and thoughts. Thus, one’s shyness should be in control and must be properly dealt with if exists beyond limits. If you want to know how to get over shyness, make use of the tips given below.
Tips For Overcoming Shyness
- The first and foremost thing to do is to know what actually makes you shy. After knowing the reason, it will be easy for you to tackle the situation.
- Be confident of yourself and focus on your qualities or special abilities.
- Be comfortable with what you are and try to be in the company of people who encourage you to be better or support you in your endeavors.
- Visualize and make yourself strong in handling expected situations where you might feel shy. When you will think about it, you will achieve it.
- Gel with your friends and keep them around, as they will act as your morale boosters.
- Be jolly and laugh quite often. This will relieve you of the pressure and help in taking situations lightly, without overexerting yourself.
- Smile is the best way to counter pressure. A smile towards a stranger immediately brings you closer and removes all apprehensions. This, in turn, makes you feel at ease. Also, making eye contact could help overcoming shyness in a major way. Every time you thinking of turning your head away or if you find yourself fidgeting when there are people in front of you, look up at them, smile and make contact. You will automatically loosen up and lose all your inhibitions.
- Set daily goals for yourself and make small changes. Do not hurry up and do things gradually.
- Note down all the situations you have felt shy in and the probable ones in which you might. This will bring a clear picture in front of you and help in chalking out a plan for the future.
- Socializing is yet another important aspect which should be taken care of. Meet new people and interact with them, so that, you get rid of the hitch and hesitation.
- Challenge yourself and try to do things you have never done before or the ones you always dreamt of doing. This will bring self-confidence and will instill courage in you.
- Have you ever analyzed your posture in public areas? Do you find yourself slumping too much or are you generally very fidgety? If this is the story of your life, then try standing tall. Roll your shoulders back, lift your chin high and give the world the impression that you are receptive and confident about your body and you carry yourself properly.
- Practice, speaking impromptu to a number of people. Yes, not only is this one of the best ways to hone your speaking skills, but, it will also help you improve your self-confidence. Speaking clearly will help avoid any sort of stuttering or mumbling and will also make you look like a very positive, assertive person.
- Make a list of all those situations that makes you feel under confident or nervous. You can number them according to a scale of what makes you most uncomfortable and what makes you least uncomfortable. Now, try and build your confidence and overcome your shyness for each one of these situations, one at a time. For eg. If you think you are a bad singer and you cannot sing at a karaoke bar because you are shy, let go of all your worries and inhibitions, grab a microphone and sing to your heart’s content, no matter how out of tune you are. Not only will you find people commending you for your effort, they will also be inspired by the confidence you emanate.
- One of the major reasons, why people are very shy is because they often compare themselves with others. The more you compare yourself to others, the more mediocre you will feel which might make you more of an introvert person.
- Finally, don’t be very edgy and rigid about everything you do. It is good to loosen up sometimes. Although, it is good to be sedate or shy in certain situations, it is also alright to lead an exciting life without worrying about what others think about you.
Every person experiences shyness at different situations and on varying amounts. However, the root cause of such feelings can be either feeble self-perception, pre-occupation or tagging. If you think you are shy and you are looking for ways to overcome this menace then go through the above article one more time.