Overcome Shyness with Adults
Template:StubShyness with adults is a natural and common phenomenon among young people. It probably has its roots in the fact that it's the adults that carry the majority of authoritarian roles in your life. How does one relate to someone who could potentially be telling you what to do, or correcting you in some way? This can feel threatening, so it's only natural want to distance yourself. Here are some ways to help you speak easier with adults.
Contents
Steps
- Believe in yourself.
- Keep telling yourself in your mind, "I can do this. I am not scared.". Motivating yourself can help with overcoming shyness.
- Confidence is also important too. You have to be confident that you are going to be able to do this, otherwise, you're not going to be able to do it. Belief doesn't work if you're not confident that you're not going to do it.
- Find the courage to speak up.
- Sometimes if you want to say something and you can't, make sure it's the right thing to say and force yourself to say it.
- You might also want to pretend that you're talking to yourself; pretend that the person isn't there.
- Breathe deeply and imagine all of your nervous energy flowing out through your feet and into the ground.
- Stand tall and speak your mind. Don't let worries of being judged stop you. Let those worries go.
- Speak to adults whenever opportunities present themselves to you. The more you practice, the more confidence you will gain.
Tips
- Remember that adults don't have it all figured out either, they're making it up as they go along just like you. They just have more experience.
- Also, the chances are they will highly respect you for it. Ask them questions about their day or what they've been doing, but don't be too personal. Simply practise having general conversations with them, even about the weather.
- Don't be too hard on yourself. For most teenagers, true liberation from shyness with adults and figures of authority may not come until you're nearing 30 or beyond. It's all a matter of life experience, and pushing your personal boundaries.
- Don't think about what the adult might think if you. Speak whatever is in your mind to the adult. Later on forget that you've ever talked to them. If you start to think what might happen after you talk to the adult then you might lose confidence.
- Your parents went through whatever you're going through too so they will most likely understand.
Warnings
- Use some discretion with who you talk to. Your mom told you,"don't talk to strangers," and it still applies. It will usually keep you out of trouble.
