subject: 6 Tips for Overcoming Shyness [print this page] 6 Tips for Overcoming Shyness 6 Tips for Overcoming Shyness
Do you struggle with shyness? You're not the only one. There is no point to stick with your shyness when there are some effective tools for ditching it out there.
Shyness typically takes time, effort and patience to beat. On the other hand, there are plenty of simple tips you can use to see immediate results in overcoming it and boosting your confidence. Here are 6 such tips which in my experience work very well:
1. Dress with style. When you dress well, you tend to feel good and be more sociable. Clothes have a feedback mechanism and when they look good on you, they somehow tell you that you are a cool person and they get you more confidence.
2. Breathe. Shy people tend to be very tense and have shallow breathing, which only reinforces their shyness. Stop for a second and notice your breathing. Then focus consciously on breathing deeper and more regularly. It will have a calming effect on you.
3. Move around. Physical activity, even the simple kind, is a good method for energizing yourself and improving your mood. When you move and you use your body, it's hard to feel anxious and to stay in your head. These two are not compatible with physical movement.
4. Compliment yourself. A lot of shy persons don't even know what their strengths are and they often think they have none. When you try to give yourself honest compliments, you force yourself to see your strengths. Then, by complimenting yourself, you bring those strengths to the forefront of your mind.
5. Let go of perfectionism. You don't need to be perfect to accept yourself, and you don't need to be perfect to let others see you as you are. Realize this and get rid of those perfectionist thoughts. It will allow you to feel better in your skin and open up more.
6. Take risks. When you're shy, it's easy to believe that if you do something impolite or you upset somebody, it's terrible. But if you actually do it, you realize it's not the end of the world. This is why it's a good idea to gently make yourself take more social risks. Overcoming shyness is mostly the result of changing your thinking and your behavior.
