Hello, landlord. I hope my answer can be of some help to you.
I can relate to that. I used to get nervous when talking to people I didn't know well, and I was also afraid of talking face-to-face with others. I would enter a "work" state as soon as someone was present, which made it difficult to relax and engage in the conversation. As you mentioned, I couldn't think straight, and I would either have awkward conversations or suppress my true needs and just say nice things. So every day when I had to talk to other people, I would feel nervous, scared, and anxious...
I must admit, though, that I can't do that right now. Of course, it's not something that can be changed overnight. It took me a while to adjust my perception, and then I practiced it in real life. Only gradually did I become more natural and comfortable when chatting with people. I think a very important point is that we need to become confident. The reason we are so afraid of chatting with people, and even when chatting, we always want to take care of other people's feelings and say only good things, is because we are not confident. We are worried that other people will not like us, so we become nervous and constrained.
In addition to building up our inner confidence, it may also be helpful to consider other reasons for our nervousness, adjust our perceptions, and put them into action. With time and practice, you may find that you can feel more at ease in interpersonal interactions and even enjoy them.
From my own experience, I believe there are two main reasons why we may become nervous in social situations:
The "spotlight effect" can lead us to overestimate the significance of our actions, appearance, and emotions in the eyes of others when interacting with them. For instance, when chatting with someone, we may feel as though other people are paying special attention to every move we make. When talking to someone, it's natural to feel a bit nervous, as though you're under a spotlight.
Another challenge is the fear of not being liked by others. When chatting with others, we are very concerned about other people's opinions and worry that they may not like us. This can make it difficult for us to feel comfortable during the conversation. Because we long for others' approval, we might try to put a positive spin on things even if it means suppressing our true needs. This can lead to feelings of depression and discomfort in social situations.
So, how might we go about making adjustments?
To deal with the spotlight effect, it might be helpful to consider that we are not necessarily the most important person in the room, and that others may not be paying as much attention to us as we think. It could be beneficial to let go, relax, and just be true to ourselves.
It is important to remember that the more you can be true to yourself, the more relaxed and comfortable you will feel. People who like you will like, accept, and support you no matter what you are like. However, people who don't like you may still reject and not support you, even if you behave in a way that is in line with your values. It is not always possible to win everyone's approval, but you can strive to be the person you like. As you get closer to your true self, you will likely find that you like yourself more.
If you can learn to take yourself less seriously in social situations, you may find it easier to participate, pay attention to the present, and hear the thoughts and needs of others. You may also discover that everyone is actually the same, and that we all have our insecurities. When you can connect with these common human qualities, you may also feel a sense of belonging and a sense of relief that "I'm not special" in social situations.
2. By reclaiming the right to judge yourself, you may find that you become less concerned about other people's opinions, which could help to reduce your nervousness during conversations.
It is not necessary to sacrifice ourselves to gain the approval of others, nor to seek favor with others in order to gain interpersonal relationships. It is important to remember that whether or not you are liked is not the most important thing. What is more important is that you can accept yourself, with all your strengths and weaknesses, and be comfortable with who you are.
We should try not to live our lives in a way that is driven by the desire to satisfy other people's expectations. If we are constantly seeking approval from others and caring about what they think, we may end up living someone else's life. If we place too much hope in being recognized by others, we may find ourselves living our lives according to other people's expectations, which could ultimately lead to us losing sight of who we really are. This could potentially lead to difficulties in our lives because it may not align with the life we truly want.
Perhaps it would be helpful to consider taking the right to judge yourself back into your own hands. You might like to treat yourself as if you were someone else and evaluate yourself comprehensively, objectively, and truthfully. This could help you to know yourself better, know yourself well enough, and know what you want. At this time, other people's opinions might become less important.
It may be helpful to consider that when we care less about what others think and live our true selves, we may find that our interpersonal relationships are actually better. It is possible that those "bad relationships" that we have traded for by pleasing others and suppressing our own needs will no longer haunt us.
3. Consider ways to boost your self-confidence and strengthen your inner strength.
It could be said that the root of the problem lies in a lack of self-confidence. When a person lacks inner strength and feels relatively inferior, they may care a great deal about other people's opinions and find it challenging to suppress their emotions and needs in social situations. They may also feel afraid that others will not recognize and like them. If we could improve our self-confidence and gain inner strength, we might be more willing to express our true thoughts in conversations and accept other people's rejections and disapproval with greater calm.
I believe that confidence comes from strength and hard work. When we become someone we approve of through our own efforts, we will become more and more confident and feel more and more secure.
You can set yourself appropriate goals and then achieve them step by step. By achieving your goals over and over again, you may find that your abilities gradually improve, your knowledge accumulates, and your experience becomes richer and richer. You may feel more and more secure, have a greater sense of control over your life, and naturally become more and more confident.
A suitable goal is one that is moderately challenging, one that you can reach with effort. If the goal is too small, you may feel unchallenged and lose interest. If it is too large, you may feel overwhelmed and lack confidence. A moderately challenging goal is the one that motivates us the most. When we work hard to achieve these goals, we will feel a sense of accomplishment and self-confidence.
For instance, if your current walking level is 4,000 steps per day, you might consider setting your daily goal to 4,500-5,000, rather than less than 4,000 or as high as 10,000.
It is important to persevere when setting goals that suit you according to your abilities. Overcoming difficulties and truly experiencing your own value is a process that requires action.
I hope this is helpful. I've found that there's a simple trick you can use when chatting with someone. Simply gaze at their inner brow. This lets them know you're paying attention to them, while avoiding any discomfort of looking directly at them.
I hope this is helpful for you.
Wishing you well!
Comments
I understand how you feel, it's really tough when social anxiety gets in the way. Maybe start by practicing conversations with someone you're comfortable with, and gradually challenge yourself to talk to new people. Also, preparing topics beforehand can help ease your mind.
It sounds like you're going through a lot with social interactions. Have you tried focusing on breathing techniques or mindfulness? They can calm your nerves and help you stay present during conversations. It's also okay to be honest about feeling nervous sometimes; people are often understanding.
Social situations can be challenging, but remember it's alright to take small steps. Setting realistic goals for yourself, like having a short conversation, can build your confidence over time. Don't forget, it's perfectly fine to need some space or time out from talking too.