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Five Tips on How Introverts can Survive a Social Event

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Broward chapter.

This is how I feel when I go to a social event and I don’t know anyone: Should I go inside or drive back home and put on a big T-shirt and some sweat pants? If I go back home, I can still catch up on some episodes of Scandal? But I’m already here and I wouldn’t want to waste an outfit.

After giving myself the pep talk, I decide to go inside.

If you get nervous when you go to parties with a lot of people there than you may be an introvert like myself. 

An introvert is someone who is shy or reserved. Being an introvert in social surrounding can be hard at times.

But no worries I will give you five tips that can help you get through any event:

  • Visualize the positive
  • Don’t overwhelm yourself with what can go wrong. What if I say something awkward? What if they talk about something I don’t know about?
  • Stop yourself right there.
  • Before you go to the party, visualize yourself having a great time and laughing. Listen to some music on your way there to make yourself feel at ease. 
  • Don’t take yourself too seriously.
  • If something embarrassing happens to you, just laugh it off and usually other people won’t make a big deal about it.
  • Find somewhere to go if you get overwhelmed
  • There may be things that happen at the party that you may not have expected. For instance, more people end up coming to the party and you feel like there is too much going on. Find a bathroom or step outside for a few minutes to recharge.
  • Be helpful
  • One way you can be helpful at a party is saving someone’s seat. This can help you connect with someone and open up a conversation. Also, when you help someone it can give you something to do instead of just sitting there and feeling awkward.
  • Ask questions
  • Once you are helpful to someone, you can also ask questions to connect. You may find out that you have some similarities with someone. Some of the questions you can ask are are you from here or what do you do. Just let the conversation flow and don’t try to force anything.
  • Plan some alone time after a social gathering

For introverts, it can feel a little overwhelming to not have any alone time and keep attending social gatherings. Schedule alone time to get that balance. As an introvert, it’s good to get out of your own mind and spend time with people. However, if it feels too much take a step back even if you may have to say no to invites. Now you are able to survive any social event with confidence and be able to catch up on Scandal. Who says introverts can’t do both.  

Ana Cedeno is a journalism major and campus correspondent for Broward College. Originally from Guayaquil, Ecuador, she immigrated to the United States when she was twelve years old and continued her education in the sunny, politically contradictory, swamp state of Florida. She has since been published by both her college newspaper and the online grassroots journalism publication Rise Miami News. A fan of literature since age 6, she's an enthusiast of language and making her opinion known, while still hearing out the other side and keeping an open mind for growth.