Some people are just naturally great at being social. They enjoy it. They are happy to be out and about getting to know new people in new situations. And many others, however, don’t really know how to be social and in fact, absolutely hate being social. They don’t like talking to new people and would rather just sit inside all day.
However, that’s just not always a possibility. Nobody can just sit inside all day and avoid socializing forever. Believe me, I’ve tried. Sometimes dealing with people is just too exhausting, and it gets overwhelming from time to time. But there are also times when it’s essential.
# RelaxYou have to calm down. I know how hard that is to do when you’re forced to do something you absolutely hate, but it’s essential for coming across like you actually want to be there. Take some time to mentally prepare yourself by taking a few breaths and calming your mood.
# Find your happy place
Think of a happy place. That may sound cliché, but you have to get yourself into a good mood before you can go and socialize with people. Doing this will help you get into a positive mindset, and it’ll even make the socializing a lot less painful.
# Remember what it’s forYou’re socializing for a reason. Maybe it’s so you can get the promotion you’ve been after for years, and maybe it’s just to maintain friendships with people who are important to you. Although you may not always want to do what you’re doing, it’s for a reason. Remembering that can make it easier.
# Avoid specific people who make it difficult
If you want to know how to be social even though you hate it, avoiding certain people and situations that make it worse will make it much easier to do. You’ll be able to maintain a positive mindset if you’re not bogged down by the negative things you hate about socializing.
# Take breaks from the socializingIf you have to go outside and sit alone for a little while, do it. Anything that will help you decompress from socializing – even if it’s only for a minute – will help you socialize better. The more you can recuperate, the better you will be at socializing, too.
# Don’t socialize too much back to backDon’t agree to go to different events all weekend long. This is such a bad idea – especially if you hate socializing. You’ll be way too exhausted, and it’ll be nearly impossible to socialize in a way that seems like you actually want to be there.
# Stick with a friendIf you have a social butterfly friend, bring them along with you! This allows you to kind of sit back and let them take the reigns. It also makes you seem like you’re being much more social than you are – which is a huge bonus.
# Practice socializing more
If you hate socializing, the only thing that’s going to make it better is having more positive experiences doing it. Therefore, you should get out and socialize more in order to get the hang of how to do it the right way. Obviously, you have to make sure not to do it too often, but just enough to get you used to it.
# Go to a familiar place
Being somewhere you like can help you feel less hatred toward socializing. When you’re actually in a place that brings you happiness – even if other people are around and you hate that – it’ll ease your mind and make it much easier to socialize with others.