Psychological Tricks to Increase Your Social Interaction

No judging. Not even planning to sound offensive. But working on the way you look, glamorizing your wardrobe, wearing clothes that flatter you, can boost confidence in social situations.

True that! It's like when you look good, you feel good. And when you feel good, you tend to be good, socially! Working on your habits and mannerism, developing good hygiene, are some of the ways to supercharge oneself. But are these enough?

Not everyone is born an extrovert with a savvy nature. There are those who blend in like a chameleon, are really comfortable amidst a crowd, fly away to gatherings, and may even end up being leaders. And then there are the introverts.

They may not be comfortable in facing strangers, making new friends, and more importantly, talking to them. Feeling left out when in a group of friends, not just in parties or social gatherings, but generally―is totally fine! A lot of us feel the same way. To improvise in times such, here are some hacks that will help you face socially awkward situations.

To tell you, everyone gets anxious. Our brain is programmed in a way that it tries to protect us from exposure. It's high time we program our brains to behave the way we want it to. Assume that meeting strangers is the easiest thing to do. Assume, you already know who you're going to meet, what's gonna happen there; assume comfort in every situation.

You don't wanna interrupt people in the middle of a conversation, and put a bad first impression. Notice, not just their torso, but their feet. If you find them turning towards you, you've got the entrance! They are open to welcoming you. Maybe, it's time you hit the conversation and come into notice.

People crave for praises, appreciation, and positive feedback. Say something nice to people (and they'll be nice to you). Start up by observing their appearance, select features that attract you. It's better if you go specific about complimenting, but you can start off with anything like―you have a great smile, nice shirt, lovely bag, and so on ...

After all the compliments generously being conferred to the world by you, it's time you hear something in return. Add relevant questions to your compliments. For instance, Nice shirt! Where did you get it from? Cool pair of jeans. Are they new? and so on ...

This will tell them that you're interested in knowing stuff, and that your thoughts are in sync with them. And since people tend to mimic, eventually, you can expect nods of agreement when you talk.

Want people to like you instantly? Give them what they need. Start rephrasing their statements. This will make them feel good. And your job is done.

Studies say, you're more liked by a person if your conversation involves some kind of touch (contact) with the person in front. Like, keeping your hand over his shoulder would show your support.

You've probably read about this one. People feel important when their name is being mentioned. After you've been introduced to someone, make an effort to include their name in conversations that bridge up. For instance, it's a pleasure to meet you, Rose.

Observe their speaking patterns, their greeting gestures; approach them and imitate them. Understand this cycle―if you're a man of high value, you're being admired; if people admire you, you must be a high value man.

Research has uncovered that chewing gum in times of stress helps people reduce anxiety, show more promptness, and enhance multitasking capabilities. Another research confirms that when hogging on food, our brain feels more relaxed and out of danger. So when anxiety knocks you in social interactions, seek something to eat!

Make actions while you talk; describe colors, fragrances, shapes, with supportive sounds. Let them get the feel of actually being present with you. Making them fantasize stuff will hook them to your topic.

We do remember the age when things like "I think", "I believe", "I guess" sounded cool. But if you wanna leave an impact, reduce the use of such words. Make your words weighty by using "I will."

You know, with most people, when trying to keep the conversation going, we tend to talk speedily. This will revert things for you. Learn to take appropriate pauses to add weight to your words.

Now, things are getting trickier. To better your interaction, find the factionalism in groupism! Or should we say, groupism within a group? All we mean, is find out people in the group who are closer to each other (more than others). An easy trick would be to crack a joke―pay attention to those looking at each other―exchanging expressions when laughing.

Want to be heard more? Avoid verbal diarrhea. Keep it mysterious so that people feel the need to hear the entire story, hear you more ...

No, don't take it literally! Avoid situations that drag you to arguments, but if you've already got caught, don't make the mistake of standing in front of the person who's furious. Instead, stand beside him. This will have a calming effect on them, making them believe they have your support.

If you aren't born with it, fake it! And the process of faking it, will make you fetch it! Start commanding your brain about things you want to be.

For instance, in social meetings, if you feel low-esteemed to talk to people, start commanding your brain to be more confident. This is a slow but an effective way to enhance your social skills. Believe, that you are no different, and can manage social interactions without a feeling of awkwardness, and eventually, you'll become what you believed in.

Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.
― Mahatma Gandhi