You will probably get this answer a lot, but you have to go one step at the time. There is no way to improve without stepping outside of your comfort zone a little bit. For example you can try to challenge yourself to try to start one conversation every day. Positive reinforcement is also very good. For example you can decide to eat your favorite snack food as a reward everytime you achieve your one conversation per day.

>>17214846
Don't do anything you don't feel comfortable with; that way you won't be unsure whether you fucked up or not, be polite, be friendly, Hell! Make it obvious you're uneasy, people will generally adapt to make you feel more comfortable.

Do you smoke weed? Maybe give it a break.

Self-sufficience is a good route as well, it can provide a comfort zone and give a confidence boost.

Apathy is another route, ie. Give up worrying about other people. I know sometimes it felt like too many people's unspoken feelings and thoughts were buzzing in my head, "did they mean something else", "should I not of done that?", "What if they want something from me?". Fuck it! Who cares lol, they'll live, you aren't actually hurting them physically are you? Are you stopping them from doing something? Fuck No! You're a friendly person! You literally, probably wouldn't do that!

And sometimes you might just need a safe, quiet place to ask yourself a few questions. I talk to myself all the time, used to do it a lot more. Why? I trust me. It can help sort out some of the things you're a little unsure about and you never have to worry about the implications of opening up. Just try to make sure no one can hear you lol, and if they do, just tell them you were muttering or something, or just talking to anyone who was listening or just exclaiming. Also, you don't have to answer yourself with words. The answers should be in your own brain already, you just have to listen.

>>17214846
Oh, didn't read the question properly

Ask people questions and let them talk. Throw in your opinion and try to let the conversation flow.

The hardest part is going to be topics, thats is: Starting the conversation. An easy one is probably "Anything you like to talk about?" Or make a comment or question about what someone else is doing or mention something you saw or did recently, even if it seems menial or unimportant at the time. Once you open up, the sooner they open up and once they start talking the hard part is over.

Try to relate things mentioned recently with opinions or things you did or saw. If you forget what you were going to say and it gets awkward, admit it and appear mildly disappointed in yourself about it, maybe even nervously laugh. "Aww... that reminded me of something but now I forgot what it was"

Try to stand up straight and don't overraise your shoulders, it makes people look smaller and less confident than they are.

>>17214846
What helped cure me of crippling social anxiety was work.

I work in a school setting, so I had to learn to talk to my coworkers, parents, and children appropriately. I was extremely shy at first. I mostly learned by watching my coworkers communicate with parents and each other. Then I honestly kind of just mimicked their tones until I was comfortable

I got the polite speak down after a couple of months. Just how to keep things casual and not blush and stammer all the time. Eventually I got to the point where talking casually to people I didn't know well was just a second nature.

So now, when I meet peers it doesn't scare me as much.. Because by default, I just speak casually and politely now. Then once an acquaintenceship was built, I could relax and be myself a lot more because I built a solid foundation and first impression.

>>17214846
I know I have social anxiety around certain groups of people. Like people that I don't really WANT to talk to. When I DO want to talk to a group it's usually indicated by the fact that I actually have something interesting to say.
If you are forcing yourself to say something then perhaps it's them just as much as its you?