16. Maintain your current friendship.
Our friendship groups tend to change as we enter our teens, 20s, and 30s. That could be as a result of our changing, their changing, or simply being too far apart to keep the relationship going.
Make sure to call your childhood best friend a few times a month to say hello, send a funny text, or send a video if you simply haven’t remained in touch but still enjoy chatting to them. Maintaining a long-lasting connection is simpler than trying to make up for a broken one.
17. Regularly have lengthy talks to fill your emotional tank.
It might be unpleasant and lonely as you pass through these many stages of meeting and creating new pals. Maintain close relationships with those you can talk to in depth, such as old friends or family. You’ll have a port in the harbor and be less likely to have those isolating, uneasy emotions that make it difficult to interact with others.
18. After 20 minutes, you can depart.
You have spent 20 minutes at the party. Although it felt like an hour, it’s okay. You assisted the hostess. You and the person next to you had a conversation about his hockey jersey. But most importantly, you didn’t turn around and flee before the 20-minute mark.
Permit yourself to leave if you don’t feel any better about the situation at this point or if you don’t think you can stay for another 20 minutes. Your aim was that. Make the time limit 30 minutes the next time.
19. Back off and be boring.
You’ve reached the finishing line. You’ve spent more than an hour at the party. You’ve eaten at the buffet table, conversed with ten people, and participated in two group discussions. You’re all set to pass out. But your pal wants to stay. (Oh. God. Why.)
When I was socializing, I used to feel like I had to put on a show and make an effort to be interesting. That made social gatherings more taxing. Admit that only you have expectations for how well you do.
You can take pauses, relax, and hear the conversations in the groups around you. Just keep your attention and don’t drift off. Follow the conversations and give nonverbal gestures like nodding and uh-huhs to participate. Take a break if you need one. Alternately, take a stroll on the terrace to enjoy some alone time and fresh air.
20. Recognize that it’s normal to be shy, introverted, or socially anxious.
It can be tempting to feel awful about being an introvert in our extrovert-loving culture; resist this urge. We listen really well. We respond with consideration and restraint. Because we pause before we speak and spend the time getting to know our team, we’re generally the finest leaders.
21. Watch extraverts to see how they act.
One method you can learn how to be more social as an Introvert is to observe Extraverts in action, to see if you can unearth some of their secrets. People with extraverted personalities spend a lot of time honing their conversational skills, so if you pay close attention to what they do and say, you might pick up on certain cues that can help you out socially.
This is not imply that you should try to speak or behave exactly as an Extravert would. You won’t be looking for as much interaction as the average extravert, therefore that wouldn’t work for you. The goal is to learn a small number of trade secrets so you can use them selectively when it makes sense for you to do so.
22. Don’t overexpose yourself to parties and other highly active social events.
You’ll likely perform better as an introvert in smaller, more private gatherings than you will at parties, conferences, or other huge celebrations or events. When the environment is calm and pleasant, you won’t feel exhausted and overpowered by all the activity going on around you, and you’ll feel much more comfortable striking up a conversation with someone.
Your odds of success are slim if you try to increase your social life in a busy or noisy environment. Introverts want peace in order to function, therefore being in a calm environment will free up your thoughts and help you make an effort to be more social. When you’re at your most relaxed, you’ll be at your sharpest, which will make it simpler for you to start or join intellectual conversations.
