Conversation starters for the socially anxious

Just smile and wave boys (I hope the reference is recognised) 😂

It can definitely be intimidating to make small talk! You can try starting with a "hi, how are you?" and see if they have anything they want to chat about. Other good questions are "any fun plans this weekend?" or "seen any movies/read any good books lately?" But don't feel like all the pressure is on you to chat! If you ask open ended questions, the other person will probably have stuff they want to say and the conversation can flow from there.

As someone with social anxiety, I can relate. Try using open ended questions and comments. Let them come to you. You've been invited, and that's half the battle. I do hope you post later and let us know how it goes.

I tend to comment on something in the surrounding area or that I notice about the person if there's any indications of things they like by looking at them. A joke or whatever that's relevant in the moment is a good way to get people to interact.

As hard as it is dont overthink just smile, you dont need to try so have a few drinks just be your self and you will be fine!

This isnt what you asked for but my advice is not to have conversation startes just to have anything come out of your mouth, that can come of as akward or worse especially if you feel like you always need to fill the silence or be the one to say things. Instead try listening and asking follow up questions especially if theres something genuinely interesting to you, interested people are interesting, and good listeners are good conversationalists. Having said that stick to topics you like, tell people about your latest projects or whats happening in your life, while your listening to everyone else make note of what types of topics others talk about and use that as a guide for whats appropriate

Congrats! Accepting the invite was a great first step! Enjoy a drink to loosen up and go with the flow of conversation. Add to the subject as it comes up and when you're comfortable. Just have fun!

As a fellow anxious ask questions make it about them the others like to talk about themselves Good Luck!

My favorite one is asking people what they’ve been weirdly into lately. People light up way faster over a random snack, show, or hobby than over "so what do you do?"

"what are you obsessed with right now?" People love talking about themselves usually

There is something called the FORD system which means talking to people about their: * Family (hometown, siblings, children, etc) * Occupation (what do they do, how did they get into it, etc), * Recreation (what do they do in their spare time, vacations, etc) * Dreams (future plans, ideas, etc)

You don’t need anything fancy. Simple works. Ask things like “How long have you been here?” or “What do you usually work on?” and let them talk. It takes the pressure off you. Short conversations are totally fine. Most people feel a bit awkward at these things, they’re just better at hiding it.

When it comes to coworkers, asking about tv or movies is usually a safe choice. Idk maybe it's just my coworkers but we all watch a lot of stuff so there's usually something we can find in common there.