Not able to hold conversations with people? If you feel shy or awkward that you won’t be able to have a good conversation with people at social gatherings, you’re not the only one feeling this way. There are lots of people who want to be more social but something stops them from being free and expressing themselves. It can have a detrimental effect on both your personal as well as your professional life.
Try and be as social as possible. Most of us feel anxious and overwhelmed at striking a conversation as we don’t know how the other person might take it. Talk to new people and try and start with having short conversations to build your confidence and you’ll see yourself improving gradually and this will directly improve your confidence.
You don’t have to walk into a party and try to be the life of the party. It’s always a good idea to start short conversations. If you don’t like crowded places, you can always go to your local store and start with greeting the shop keeper or greet your neighbors more often.
People love to talk about themselves, their hobbies, interests, friends, and family. Try to ask others about their interests so that you can pick up on how they have conversations. It’s always a good idea to ask open-ended questions so that the other person will carry forward the conversation and make you feel less awkward.
Pick up a social hobby so that you get to meet similar minded people who will share the same interests as you. It’s always a good idea to set a goal for yourself to practice and once you reach that goal, try and build on it.
Every person loves a compliment. It helps to start a conversation on a positive note. Compliment an acquaintance on a new dress they bought or a colleague on doing a good job at work. It helps other people to understand that you have a friendly nature.
Pick up the habit of reading books which have more than six or seven main characters. This will help you understand how people have varied personalities and how they deal with their short comings. Practice the knowledge you gained from reading these books.
Being polite, humble and grateful is a great way to be in the good books of others. It goes a long way in increasing your chances of being liked since well-mannered people are usually accepted universally.
Make sure you have the right body language when you’re in a social gathering. Try to smile more and make eye contact without coming across as a creep.
Know what is happening around the world so that you’ll always have something to talk about when meeting new people and breaking the ice. Stay away from discussing political topics as they might turn into an argument. Choose topics like food, sports, fashion, technology and anything that is neutral.
Always remember that being social and feeling more confident about your ability to have a conversation is directly related to the effort you put into it. Never shy away from a conversation and try to always maintain a positive attitude and you’ll see the changes it can bring about in your life. All the best!
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