I know it sounds stupid, but I've learned to make an effort to be nice to the person at the supermarket checkout. Say hello, ask how their shift is going, pleas

I know it sounds stupid, but I've learned to make an effort to be nice to the person at the supermarket checkout. Say hello, ask how their shift is going, pleasant smalltalk. Not only has this forced me out of my anti-social comfort zone[1] and helped me gain confidence when dealing with strangers, it's also turned the whole 'shopping' thing into a less traumatic experience - something I used to think was impossible. [1] - I'm face blind, which makes starting a conversation with strangers a bit fraught as they might not, in fact, be strangers.