Julie had to attend her office party. She didn’t want to because of being shy. She hated it when any attention was placed on her and certainly didn’t want to socialize with people she hardly knew. Deep down, she wished she could go to the party and be comfortable. She wanted to meet her co-workers and get to know them better, but her shyness was holding her back.

This weekend we discuss shyness and how to overcome that personality trait when you desire to be more social. So here are a few tips to get you started working on overcoming shyness.

Give yourself time to warm up to new situations. Don’t be impatient with yourself. You need time to adjust and feel comfortable in unfamiliar situations. So be kind to yourself and say, ‘This isn’t easy for me, but I can do it.’

Don’t compare yourself to the most social person in the room.  This will only make you feel worse. Instead, tell yourself that even people who are confident feel uncomfortable in new situations.

Starting a relationship may be difficult but reassure yourself that when a shy person gets into a relationship, they don’t have trouble developing intimacy. So yes, the starting may be more difficult, but eventually you will develop a relationship if you hang in there and move through the awkwardness.

Arrive early to a party. I know, that sounds counter intuitive, but shy people need to meet people one-on-one and become familiar with their surroundings.

Volunteer in order to engage with others. This will give you something to do while meeting people. It structures your time and provides opportunities to practice.

Spiritually, the shy person is in good company. Moses was shy and told the Lord he was slow of speech and slow of tongue. He didn’t want to speak in front of others and lead.  He had to rely on the Lord to help him do what God was asking him to do.

Remember 2 Timothy 1:7:

“For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.”

With God’s help, you can overcome shyness when you need to speak or act. Rely on Him to direct and lead you, a guideline for the shy and not so shy as well!

Overcoming shyness