This is How I Became a Confident Introvert
5 tips for Introverts to Shine in Social Settings
Why can’t I be like them?
I was always that silent kid in class. I would watch in awe when my classmates effortlessly made new friends and stole the limelight. I always wondered why can’t I be like them.
As I grew up the thought of socializing or attending parties seemed overwhelming. That’s the kind of introvert I was!
Fast forward to entering the corporate world, I have realized how important it is to voice my thoughts. I am writing this to share five tips that helped me to be confident while still being an introvert.
1. Embrace challenges
Start with little things. I challenged myself to share my ideas in meetings, and when my team appreciated my fresh perspective, I was thrilled beyond limits.
I also learned to work on my body language. I have realized that more than confidence, paying attention to our posture, hand gestures, and maintaining eye contact could make a world of difference.
2. My tiny victory Jar
When I began taking up these little daily challenges, I kept a victory jar where I would collect a note of my achievements.
I know it sounds cliche, but when I faced rejections or had days of self-doubt, I would read a note from this jar only to remind myself of all that I had overcome my fears and insecurities. This always helps me reassure myself and to never give up!
3. Self-reflection:
For me, this works like a charm. Self-reflection lets you understand yourself better.
Let me brief you on how I did it. Every night I followed a journaling ritual. I would take time to pen down and pour out all my thoughts and fears. I would also make a note of the soft skills I should be working on.
Picture this more like a conversation You desperately need to have with yourself. This lets you make conscious changes for good and also helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses.
4. Networking
As an introvert, I lacked the art of striking up a conversation effectively. It was for this reason networking always seemed terrifying to me. But knowing how important it is these times, I challenged myself to attend social event networking events whenever I had an opportunity.
Do you know we, introverts, are blessed with an amazing quality of being excellent listeners? So I used my listening skills to initially focus on how people initiate conversations and keep them going.
This helped me get better at my communication skills, though I was super uncomfortable at first, with each event I was able to make new friends and this slowly boosted my confidence in social settings.
5. Self-care
Yes! I can’t emphasize enough on this one. Self-care is crucial as it gives us time to recharge our energy. Well, social events are important but sometimes it’s essential to disconnect and get away from the daily chaos. This always helps me to get back to form with a greater zeal!
So this was my journey of transforming myself into being more confident. Was it easy? No, it sure wasn’t, but the key is to never give up!
I continue to reflect and evolve each day.
Becoming confident is not about trying to overcome introversion but finding ways to use it as your strength. So all you have to do now is to challenge your comfort zone one task at a time because confidence does not bloom in your comfort zone and it’s not far that you will discover that untapped potential you had in you waiting to be unleashed.
Recognize your unique strengths and don’t forget to celebrate your achievement, no matter how insignificant it seems. Let’s shine together!
