I still feel socially awkward sometimes, but other are surprised when I tell them this because I generally come off as pretty well adjusted socially. I was ver

I still feel socially awkward sometimes, but other are surprised when I tell them this because I generally come off as pretty well adjusted socially. I was very awkward in shy in school. In ninth grade I decided to go out of my way to stop being so shy. I started forcing myself to speak out in class, or talk to the "popular" kids whom I was always shy around. Over time it worked, I got more and more comfortable. There were some very cringe-worthy moments, but with time I just grew more comfortable not caring about people's responses enough to speak up in social situations. When meeting new people I still often get a bit shy and uncertain, but usually can kind of fake it for long enough until I get their "vibe" and how to respond to them in a way that maintains banter. If doing this as an adult, a version of what worked on me as a student might be putting yourself in social situations that you're not comfortable with a little bit at a time. Join a few different kinds of Meetups, take a group class. Hitting the gym as you say is good, I think it really helps with overall confidence. But being at the gym by yourself is often a solitary activity where you don't need to interact with others much. You can still feel self-conscious if you are new to the gym and don't feel like you know what you're doing, but just watching some YouTube videos to brush up on exercise ideas and lifting techniques can help that pass quickly. Good luck!