stop being scared to talk to strangers

How I did it: Unfortunately, the person that I chose to speak to was a nasty old lady, but I didn't care. I also ordered all my own food, smiled at people, and had a conversation with a few people while waiting in line for McDonalds.

I didn't realise till afterwards that I was actually speaking to someone I didn't know. It was a wonderful feeling to realise that over the years, building up to this point, I had slowly been learning to communicate with strangers.

Lessons & tips: It takes time, especially if you have an anxiety disorder like myself. It can seem easy - especially to those of us who are on the internet a lot. We get used to talking to people, but it's completely different face to face. Take your time - don't rush it. It helps if you take someone with you while you're talking to a stranger - having someone there that you know is quite comforting, even if they don't say anything themselves.

Resources: Myself. And strangers, of course =]

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Jan 17, 2009, 02:55AM PST | 0 comments