In the form of advice for people trying to get better at social stuff: fake confidence and relaxation, in the full confidence that it quickly becomes true. I'm

In the form of advice for people trying to get better at social stuff: fake confidence and relaxation, in the full confidence that it quickly becomes true. I'm probably a mild case, but once I got it, this worked for me. (That, and it's helpful to have a few canned entry and exit lines. Knowing you can break off a conversation if it gets awkward or stalls makes it less scary to start one. Even just a version of, "well, it was nice to meet you, I'm going to move along now", in whatever phrasing sounds right from you)