How an Introvert can Improve Social Skills

Being an extrovert or introvert is not a choice because we are born with certain personality traits. There are many people, like me, who are an introvert by their nature. They want to spend their time alone or want to avoid conversation with anybody they are not comfortable with. An introvert likes to do everything alone or only in the company of the people very close to him or her.

Can an introvert become an extrovert?

Though you cannot go from an introvert to an extrovert, you can improve your social skills to your advantage. If you are an introvert, you can pick some of the aspects of an extrovert without changing your personality.

Having an introverted child is a big problem to parents as the child does not socialize at all. Communication is one aspect that is very important to become successful—you want to develop and maintain strong human connections in life

Give it a try, social skills will improve automatically

Go out and socialize; no matter how much you want to avoid it. You have to do it just for the sake of it. The more you do it; the more you become comfortable in a group of people. You can easily mix with them and can talk to them without fumbling for conversation starters. Spending more time with people will certainly help you do away with the hesitation you feel in the presence of people.

In fact, introverts do not feel like meeting people because they have created their own walls and world within themselves. But, the fact is that a human is a social animal and must meet people for various needs; physical, social or emotional.

Try to find a group of like-minded people

What I mean by a group of like-minded people is try to look for people who share the same interests as you. For instance, all the people you know are great party buffs and you feel like the odd one out in their company. You feel better staying in. In that case, you can join some class or visit a club or volunteer for some cause; at these places, you can meet people sharing your same interests.

Stretch the limits of your Comfort zone

Introverts usually have a fear of meeting people, and often they hesitate to express those feelings. However, they must overcome this fear by stretching the limits of their comfort zone. Be gutsy and talk to people—look straight in their eyes. Once you push these limits, you will feel comfortable doing it again.

For instance, when you join a new workplace, you might feel intimated by your new colleagues. In that case, take the initiative by introducing yourself to everyone. The most important thing is to start with a low key and then move to bigger challenges. If you think you can beat your shyness in one day, you are wrong. Like other social skills, it needs to be practiced.

Learn to get involved in a conversation

Wise people have always said, “listening carefully is always better than talking.” However, if you are in a conversation, it becomes important to use both your skills in a balanced way. To keep a conversation alive, listening and talking are two important aspects. Moreover, mere listening sometimes creates an awkward silence that can be interrupted only by responding through your talking. Thus, it is important to develop your conversation skills.

Though you might feel more secure when you do a minimum amount of talking, it becomes absurd when in the midst of group of people, you have nothing to say!

Being able to talk gives you more confidence in certain social situations. Believe me; you can develop this skill of gab if you just keep talking even if you do not know what to say. With practice, you will improve your social skills and overcome your fears.

Conclusion

You can start your journey to become an extrovert and improve your social skills right now. You will keep picking more useful tactics in your path as you go further.