8 Ways to Overcome Shyness
Have you ever walked to the center of the classroom and froze because you were too shy to speak? Or never asked your ‘dream girl’ out on a date because the thought of doing it made you nervous? I came across an interesting quote- “I had so many chances I blew ‘because I was too damn shy”. Most of us have been there and done that at some point in our lives. We all feel the feeling of shyness; some more than the others. However, should shyness have the power to stop you from doing what you want to do in life? In this article, we’ve put together 8 ways for you to overcome your shyness and to build your confidence to achieve anything you want in life.
1. Try something new
The most effective way to build up your confidence is to try something new. Join a sports club, or the debate team. Don’t allow stress, fear of failure, anxiety or any other factor get in the way of your confidence. It might seem intimidating at first, but if you put yourself out there, you have a fair chance of overcoming your shyness and developing confidence.
2. Be confident
In order to overcome your shyness, you have to appear confident. This might take a little practice, but it can be really effective. The key to being confident is to understand and accept your shyness. Once you do that, you have to think about what triggers the shyness. This enables you to be aware of your shyness, and to take a conscious decision to overcome it.
3. Face your fears
The reason people find it so hard to overcome shyness is because they don’t take the effort to face the situation. Acceptance is key; don’t avoid dealing with your fears because they make you anxious. Once you gather the courage to embrace your shyness, and courageously face your fears, there is no stopping you.
4. Work on your body language
Body language is an art; it depicts what you are feeling even without you having to utter a word. Did you know that stepping around while standing shows that you are anxious? Or that crossing your arms is also a sign of nervousness. It is important to communicate proper body language to show that you are confident, and to gain the trust of the people. Start by practicing in front of the mirror, and soon you will find that proper body language is the key to boosting your confidence and overcoming shyness.
5. Work on your strengths
Another crucial aspect to help boost your confidence is the focus on your strengths, rather than blaming your weaknesses. One thing to understand is that being shy need not always be a bad thing. It might just be that you may not be so comfortable doing things or being in places that other people like. If you prefer to stay at home, don’t blame yourself for it because it is alright to have other kinds of interests. Focus on things you like doing, and speak more with people you are comfortable with. Your confidence level is bound to increase.
6. Interact with people
The easiest way to overcome shyness is to interact with people. Try to make it a habit to speak with at least one new person every day. It is important that you surround yourself with people that you are comfortable with, and to make yourself vulnerable to them. Don’t worry about what they will think of you, or conclude that ‘they won’t understand’. They might be more understanding than it seems. Once you feel comfortable talking to people and opening up to them, you will realize the gradual boost in your confidence level, and that will give you the strength to overcome your shyness.
7. Make a note of your successes
As you embark on the journey to explore your inner confidence and to get rid of that overbearing shyness, you will see a lot of success along the way. It might take a long time for you to completely overcome your shyness, but you will realize that you are improving gradually. It is a good idea to make a note of all your successes. This will help boost your level of confidence, and give you the strength to continue working hard to overcome your shyness.
8. Practice makes perfect
Lastly, it is important to understand that you cannot overcome your shyness overnight. It is a gradual process. Take the time to make an effort to face your fears and boost your confidence. Interact more often with other people, and challenge yourself to overcome your shyness. Put yourself in uncomfortable situations. By forcing yourself to face your fears, you allow yourself to experience the situation and to realize that it wasn’t as bad as it seemed. Don’t be too hard on yourself, or too judgmental about other people. They are all just like you, trying their best to appear confident and strong.
