Ask HN: If you used to be socially awkward and shy, how did you improve?
If it is something that you want to improve then it is something that you have to put in the time and effort to practice. Some would say that confidence is an attitude (i.e. fake it till you make it) but some would say that confidence is a result of feeling comfortable in your own skin.<p>I think learning to feel comfortable and be okay with feeling awkward is also one way to eventually feel less awkward. The best way sometimes is to just acknowledge the awkwardness of the situation and then it will become less awkward than if it is just sitting there like the proverbial elephant in the room. It's almost like desensitizing yourself to the feeling until you become gradually less affected by it and that it doesn't bother you much at all.<p>If you take the time and effort to understand the situations in which you find yourself feeling socially awkward and shy, you'll be able to address the root cause of the problem and practice how you react and respond to those situations.<p>I wish you the best of luck :)