1. Start with very, very small talk and simple actions: Getting your feet wet
2. Develop conversation skills: How to keep talking
3. Rehearse what you are going to say: Practice makes perfect
4. Perform social graces: Give (kindness) and you shall receive (kindness).
Planning and rehearsing for social interactions with others might sound a bit trite and artificial. But because shy people manifest their shyness in the form of behavior deficits when interacting with others, what they need is to acquire new social and conversational skills. And the best way to acquire and develop such skills is still to define what the skills are and to practice them beforehand in a comfortable environment.
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