How to overcome shyness and meet new people in London

One of the reasons people come to London is to meet new people, to learn about a new culture. Some just feel like they need a change. They need to leave their country because they simply feel tired of the same old places and routine, and want to experience a different way of life.

It often happens that people come and stay close with people of the same nationality to combat loneliness in this new city. There are few reasons for this but the main factor is shyness and a lack of confidence.

So, how do you overcome shyness? Practice makes a champion so get out of your comfort zone:

1. Accept who you are, so all your oddities and cultural differences will become your advantages. Also, respect all differences and weirdness in the other people around you. You came to London to discover different cultures, right?
2. Think about yourself in a positive way. Why it would be great for someone to meet you? What do you have to offer to someone as your friend?
3. Straighten your posture, keep your chin up and smile with your eyes. Go and boldly ask someone in the street a question, for example about where is the nearest shop, or the way to the tube.
4. While hearing on the tube announcement: “we are being held at a red signal, we should be moving shortly”, make a comment about that to the person standing next to you.
5. Find a person from the people you know who you think is confident. Watch him/her and try to find what it is about their behaviour that makes you think like that. Is it their voice, their posture, the way they start a conversation without hesitation? Copy the way they act.
6. Fear of rejection – don’t worry about that. If someone you meet doesn’t like you, it’s their loss. Remember that there are people who may feel the same – fear of talking to strangers or being embarrassed in front of others is common.
7. Be focused, ask questions and engage in conversation. People like feeling that someone is interested in what they’re saying. They’ll give you the same attention back.
8. Push your limits. Set yourself a goal, e.g. meeting one new person per week.

So go on, meet new people and get the most of your time in London.

Photo from Flickr by copelaes