Some make friends effortlessly even when they are in an unfamiliar territory. However, others find it difficult to mingle and they can be socially anxious.
You may have tried to interact with other people but when fear and anxiety get in the way, your hopes can easily die.
There is no need to force yourself to blend in the crowd. You don’t have to feign friendliness to become sociable. There are some techniques you can use so you can overcome social anxiety and become friendly.
Take time to talk to people you already know
If you see someone you know, then go over and find out what’s going on with them. Keep in touch with your friends. Stop and chat to your co-workers when they’re not too busy.
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Start conversations with new people
If you’ve recently been introduced to someone, or you see some new people around, go up to them and start a conversation. Even saying hi, asking for their name, and going, “Cool, nice meeting you. I’ll see you around later hopefully” can be good.
Invite people to do things with you/the group
Be fairly loose and generous with your invitations to people. Be the one to invite people out rather than waiting for them to come to you first. Don’t feel you have to know someone for a long time either. If you seem to get along then why not ask them to do something? If you like your new co-worker or classmate, ask them if they want to grab a drink later, or come by your place to chill.
Chat back to people who try to talk to you
Have you ever tried making pleasant conversation with someone you’ve run into, and they blew you off by giving one-word responses and obviously looking like they don’t want to be spoken to? You probably walked away thinking they were pretty unfriendly, even if you intellectually knew they may have had a reason for being brusque.
Source: How To Be More Friendly And Social
