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Ask HN: If you used to be socially awkward and shy, how did you improve?

Recently, I cannot help but notice how shy and socially awkward I might be at times, which is quite frustrating.

To be fair to myself, I am not awful in social situations in that depending on the context I can be seemingly confident and calm, especially when I am among people I know and the context is familiar.

When it comes to new people and places, everything changes dramatically. My voice changes, my posture changes, everything changes. I can start being awkward in all possible senses.

The discomfort gets to the point where I blush and this physical state of vulnerability and self-doubt of course makes things even worse :)

I understand that all of that relates to self-esteem and phychology in general therefore my question.

It's common to advise hitting on the gym, which I just started doing last week. Funnily, the gym is the place where I last noticed my awkward behavior :)

If you have managed to deal with that and improve in that regard, what is your success story?

520 points dondraper36 4 years ago 543 comments

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