How to improve my relationships with co-workers and acquaintances in general?

Question:

i have alot of social anxiety issues. i do have a couple of close friends and am close to my family and do date, but it is hard for me to have even relationships with people at work or casual acquaintances in general. i get so nervous, i probably come off as weird or inconsistent. once i know someone and trust them, things are fine but getting there is hard. i never know whether to say hi or not in the hallway at work or anything and im always scared people are saying things about me. as a result, i have very few good relationships with coworkers, not because i am not nice but because i am shy and insecure and probably defensive at times. i am so worried that someone is going to judge me for the way i look or every little thing i do, that i become paralyzed. how do i fix this? i know it sounds trivial to be having these problems in your 20s, but i do need advice.

Answers:
I have the same problem. seriously, try getting a girl and getting some. That was my problem until i did that. Seriously.

take a leap of faith

Force yourself to lift your head up, look someone in the eye, smile and say hello. They'll say hello back. If for some strange reason they don't respond, you have to remember that that is not the norm, it is unusual, and that you're not the one with the problem - that person is - so just dismiss it and go on about your business. Smiles and attitudes are contagious, so be an instigator - smile and be happy. You'll find that when this behavior is returned to you, you'll feel that self-confidence just creeping right up on you!
I would suggest reading a book titled "I'm Okay, You're Okay."

It's hard to break the ice when trying to be more friendly. You need to have something to talk about. What are your interests aside from work? Do you watch certain TV shows? You can always mention them as in did you see so-and-so last night? It was funny or it was entertaining. Do you like sports? You could talk about your favorite team or player. I used to read the paper in the morning and come to work and start up a conversation about something I read in the paper. Once you can initiate the conversation you'll see how enjoyable it is to talk to people and they will talk with you again.

How to improve my relationships with co-workers and acquaintances in general?

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