Having a social circle is an integral aspect of a person’s professional as well as personal growth. We are now living in a virtual world where we are interacting with people, mostly through gadgets. This has done and is still doing considerable damage to the interpersonal skills of people.

Though, there is nothing wrong with being an introvert, having an anti-social behavior can have a drastic effect on your overall personality.

You will be surprised at finding how easy it is to retain your social skills by adopting some simple strategies in your daily life. Below are some of the effective methods that would help you to become an outgoing person.

Break the Inertia

The first step is always the most challenging. When you put yourself into a large social group, the chaos can make you a little uncomfortable. This awkwardness lasts only for a while, after which you start gaining confidence. Go and meet new people for overcoming that inertia of shyness.

Attend Social Events

Regularly turning down invitations of social events is a classic sign of social anxiety. This constant disapproval of social gatherings can become a habit and later on affect your personality as well.

Never miss events like social dine outs, adventures, excursions, and movies as it can be an excellent opportunity for interacting with new people. Also, being involved in group activities in your office can considerably boost your interpersonal skills.

Accept Other’s Vulnerabilities

You cannot maintain any relationship if you are too judgemental on people’s weaknesses. If you are in search of a “perfect” friend, you will be failing miserably in the task. Everybody has their vulnerabilities and we should accept people the way they are.

If we are to gel with others, we need to acknowledge their positives as well as negatives. Being compassionate is one of the key virtues of human beings that helps us in building strong bonds with others.

Initiate the Conversation

Initiating the conversation while you are in a group is a great confidence booster in itself. While you may become self-conscious at first, with constant practice, you will get to a zone, where starting the conversation shall be a cakewalk for you. If you become more comfortable in approaching others, you will be able to make a good social circle within no time.

Incorporate Good Hobbies

Having a hobby makes you an interesting person. When you are adept at a particular skill, you will naturally have more things to share. Hobbies are also a great way to beat your stress after a long strenuous work schedule.

You also need to be aware of the bad habits that you are indulging in as it can be a major put off. Smoking is one of the addictions that can instantly displease people. Many cigarette smokers now opt for vaping as it has become a new trend. Vaping if followed with etiquette, causes much less inconvenience to the surroundings, which makes it more socially acceptable than cigarettes.

Develop a Positive Attitude

Whiners are the most annoying people to be with. One cannot expect to maintain a good social network if one has the habit of constant cribbing and crying. People with a jovial outlook are fun to hang out with. They are also the ones who motivate us when the chips are down.

Try to be someone who can create a positive ambiance always. You will be seeing how people will look forward to talking with you when you are cheerful. Having a positive attitude is also a hallmark of a great leader. 

Be a Good Listener

The attention span of human beings is declining as we have tons of distractions around today. This is why most people are failing to be good listeners. People are only interested in talking and even though they give the impression that they are listening, mostly it is pretentious.

Being a good listener is a sign of compassion. You show empathy when you are all ears to people’s problems. One becomes instantly likable if he or she starts practicing the art of compassionate listening.

Try Small Talks with Strangers

This is a great way to break the habit of shyness. The fear of talking to an unknown person can be cured easily by having small conversations with strangers. Try not to use your phones and gadgets 24x7 as it destroys moments for the talks. It is also a behavior that outrightly sends a signal that you are not interested in others.

If you are out on a road trip, try asking directions by talking to people instead of searching online. A good conversation can also be started by offering a small compliment to others.

We, humans, are naturally social animals and it should not take us long to build a good network group. We have an inherent ability to create a bond with other people. By getting out of the comfort zone more often, one can become a person who can instantly influence and make friends with other people.