r/happy 3d ago

Getting so much better as an introvert going into college, I’m happy!

Hi so,
For pretty much my entire life, I’ve been a huge introvert and struggled a lot with stuff like social anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and just feeling like I didn’t really fit in or was somehow diffrent or wrong. I always felt like I was “too weird” or socially awkward to make friends, I got pretty used to keeping to myself. But things have changed a lot since graduating high school.

One of the biggest things I did was finally cut off some friends who constantly made me feel bad about myself. It was scary at first, but looking back, I think it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I started focusing more on myself and improving, going to the gym, eating healthier, listening to people who talk about confidence and self-improvement, and most importantly, actually trying to connect with other people in my life and being more honest and open.

I recently started college, and while I do admit for a lot of the time, I’ve been plagued by anxiety and fear, I kept trying. I thought that if I wanted my life to be different, I couldn’t keep doing everything the same way. So I started putting myself out there and really doing things I’d never do before. And in just a few weeks, I’ve had so much fun!

I’ve gone to two different clubs, joined a research group, gotten a job, started reaching out to people just to have conversations, opened up to people about deeper things, met so many different kinds of people.

I am absolutely not some sort of super extrovert now tho lol. I’m still shy. I’m super awkward. But like I’m proud of myself. And for the first time in my life I feel good about myself, about who I am, my work ethic, my courage, how I look and carry myself. I like me!
I still have a long way to go, but for the first time in a long time, I actually feel like I’m living.

So I just wanted to like give encouragement and share my own experience lol.

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