Don’t be afraid to express yourself. Be who you are and don’t be ashamed of it. Don’t hide behind a façade and limit your abilities by not allowing yourself to be heard or seen. If you feel awkward in some social situation, try to get out of your head and into the present moment. You can use some mindfulness tactics and try to normalize it. [1] X Trustworthy Source HelpGuide Nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free, evidence-based mental health and wellness resources. Go to source If you think someone dislikes you, question the validity of those thoughts. It may not be true. The person may only have been annoyed at something you did. [2] X Trustworthy Source HelpGuide Nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free, evidence-based mental health and wellness resources. Go to source It is best to remove those thoughts using mindfulness tactics. They can lead to more negative thoughts and emotions.
Try to be confident in your own skin. Although this can be difficult at times, it doesn’t hurt to let yourself do things you normally wouldn’t to break out of your shell a little bit.
Understand that failure is not the end - you can always get better at doing something. Success doesn’t come easily, it requires multiple attempts sometimes, and usually hard work. Don’t beat yourself up over a failure.
Don’t get caught up thinking about what other people are doing constantly. A good way to stay consistent with this is to become a little busier. Spend your free time doing things you love or doing things productively. It’s hard to overanalyze other people’s lives when you’re so busy living your own.
Pick up a long-lost hobby or passion and get back into it. One of the best feelings is to regain a connection to something that has been lost and find a new joy in doing it once again.
Remember it’s difficult to change, but it is possible. Changing a mindset or a way of life is always a challenge, but know that you can get through this stage, and there is another one waiting for you. Continue to keep track of the things you are changing and how you’re changing them. This is very good to do, this way you can understand what works for you personally, and why it does. Continuing to use those methods is going to help immensely in the future.
