I find that my social skills come and go with practice. If I spend long days or weeks programming then the skills get rusty and I find it difficult to interact

I find that my social skills come and go with practice. If I spend long days or weeks programming then the skills get rusty and I find it difficult to interact with people. Maybe trying getting out there and spending time with people (at a sports club/meet up/board games, whatever you enjoy). Read some novels (there was a study that suggested humans learn social skills from reading about human interactions in books). I'm not suggesting you're not sociable already, just that forming a connection might be easier if you feel confident socialising generally. Connections with others are based on honesty, so make sure you're yourself. Also...remember to love yourself! Good luck :)