Being Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable

When I first entered college, I was super nervous and introverted. I was worried that I would be like this for my entire college experience. But as time went by, I slowly started to get out of my shell. This change didn’t happen overnight, however. It took me two years, but I’m finally able to ask questions in class without my heart beating out of my chest. I’m also less nervous to reach out to my professors about internship and academic opportunities.

Three things have helped me become more comfortable with being an introvert. The first is talking to people who are like me, and listening to their experiences being introverted and how they learned to deal with it. The best person to talk to about being introverted is another introvert because they understand how you feel and can give you advice that you may feel more comfortable taking. This summer, I was able to talk to a few people during my internship and learned different ways to handle situations that made me uncomfortable. One of my favorite things someone told me was that confidence and being comfortable with yourself are key. If you feel confident in what you’re wearing or how you look, then when you try to be more outgoing, it becomes a little easier.

The second thing that has helped me is realizing that everyone is too worried about themselves to really focus on what you’re doing. When you’re in a public setting, you might be worried about what other people think of you, but you’re probably not paying attention to what everyone else is doing. The same thing applies to everyone around you. They are likely just as focused on themselves as you are.

Lastly, I remind myself that I don’t want to look back in the future and feel like I missed out on opportunities because I was too afraid to take them. I can already look back at my past and see the opportunities I missed because I was too nervous or scared to step outside of my comfort zone. Instead of letting those missed opportunities discourage me, I use them as motivation to push through my fear. I know that being introverted is a part of who I am, but I don’t want it to stop me from experiencing everything college has to offer. I want to look back and know that I tried, even when I was uncomfortable.