Methods to increase social skill without other people

Post Reply New Topic

What's the best way to practice social skills without directly interacting with people?
This might sound paradoxical if not downright impossible, the problem is that when interacting with people and I mess it up (which usually happens) it causes me great anxiety that can last for days so I would love to hear about methods that would increase my social skills without all that inflicted pain.
And hopefully with enough skill I could go on to interact with actual people and not every interaction would give me anxiety afterwards.
I have heard of ideas here and there but I'm skeptical what would even work and if it's worth the time investment.
Something like talking to yourself in the mirror, doing solo acting exercises.
What I'm also scared off behind the lost time is that it would cause me to become even more akward.
Do you have any good experiences with such things?

I think your best bet would be to work on improving your self-esteem and reducing your sensitivity to criticism so you aren't so anxious and don't feel worse when you make a mistake. I used to have the same problem and found the information on the site https://autismcbt.wordpress.com to be very helpful.

First. It's good to understand that you will always make mistakes and so will everybody breathing and thinking. The most important thing is to be kind to yourself. Avoid self deprecation, and especially avoid feeling sorry for yourself. Keep it a rule in your head and as you correct yourself, it will become habit. Writing down your anxieties and general word vomit really helps too, just avoid making posts about it or ranting to friends. It becomes a habit, so only do it if you want genuine discourse, not sympathy. Seeking sympathy all the time is a crutch. Only you can know how you truly feel and the best way to solve your problems, all you need is patience and a good mindset.

Second. To answer your question, it is very possible. By making scenarios in your head, focusing on yourself, you can see how it feels in different environments. You can try saying an introduction in different locations (in your head), and you can stay at home all the while. It takes practice to do it naturally, so you can start by saying things out loud, which I still do at times. Try different faces, locations, tones, and people, keep that in mind.

1. Be kind to yourself
2. Practice scenarios in your head
3. Exercise (for self esteem)
4. Release your feelings in some way that only you can see
5. Avoid looking for sympathy or feeling overly bad for yourself
6. Try Chipotle burritos, I can't stop eating them. Support local restaurants. Not required.
7. If you feel overwhelmed, never be afraid to confide in your loved ones.

Hope this helps. It's what I've learned and what got me through some dark times.

Practice online.

Practice here.
Get female volunteers from this website and practice chatting styles.
Then get actual honest feedback.
Simples.