I know this has pretty much been said, but these are the things that worked for me. I was pretty awkward for a while, especially in high school, but even for a couple years after. The weed definately won't help, that's probably the main thing that still holds me back. But having a job where you have to talk to strangers in person all day will definately help you out. At my last job I worked as a cashier for about six months, and started off being real nervous and quiet around people. Then after having more or less the same interactions with people all day everyday, I realized that it doesn't reall matter, they're just people and not a reason to get nervous. Hitchhiking and travelling around the country also helped me because it forces you to talk to people you don't know. Now I can pretty much go up to anybody and, maybe not start a conversation because I hate small talk, but at least ask a question or introduce myself without getting too anxious. A lot of my anxiety had to do with how I looked, I was really self-conscious. I changed the way I looked a little bit, cleaned up and stopped wearing glasses, noticed that girls look at my a little different now which helps with the confidence a bit. Also, like someone else said, the exercise will help a lot with feeling more at ease. A good workout, even just jogging for 20-30 minutes will give you that runner's high that clears your mind and really relaxes you for the rest of the day. Do that a few times a week and you'll a lot better the rest of the time. Realize that a lot of people have the same thing going on that you do, it's pretty common, and don't stress too much about it, or think too hard about what you're gonna say. If you need advice or whatever you can PM me.
