Instructions
Ocercoming Shyness and Building Self-confidence
- 1 Become truly interested in others. Shy people are typically introverted. To overcome your shyness, try to inject some extroversion into your personality. People are everywhere and you have to deal with them---at work, school or at home. By climbing outside yourself and by learning who the people surrounding you are, you become interested in whom they are as a person.
2 Listen carefully to what people are saying instead of focusing on how self-conscious you feel. Start with your family or any friends you have. For example, if you live with your parents, when they get home from work or school, ask them about their day. Project the experience you gain from connecting with your family and friends into the outside world.
3 Become more visible by sitting in the front seat at church, meetings, school or gatherings. Although sitting the back seat garners you less attention, to overcome your shyness and build your self-confidence, you have to get accustomed to sitting in the front. Over time, you will become less self-conscious and more confident in your new-found position.
4 Maintain eye contact with the person speaking with you, or vice versa. Being a shy person, you may tend to avert your eyes, finding it difficult to establish eye contact. The ability to sustain eye contact not only signifies your confidence, but also helps to build trust and makes your listener feel that they are being listened to.
5 Smile from inside out. A genuine smile pulls people in. If someone says something nice to you, do not be abashed. Instead, absorb it with a smile.
6 Adapt a posture that reflects confidence. Your walk can define how you feel about yourself. Walk briskly, with your head held high and with good posture, but be careful not to exude cockiness or arrogance. A confident walk improves your self-image and gives you a sense of purpose and power. Others will inevitably feel your presence when you walk into a room.
