Sigh. I don't know where to start or what do I need to ask here even at all.

So, I have joined a new workplace and I just don't know how to interact with people. Most of the time I don't feel the energy to interact. But being shutdown feels not very socially acceptable behavior nor I feel it would do any good to me.

First two weeks, I didn't talk with anyone at all. Only one or two interactions here and there that's about it. After I did manage to get into small group of employees who've joined recently and they allowed me to join their social circle.

At this point, I thought I was gonna be okay and will improve at socialising. But even after a month, I still feel this feeling of being subhuman level at socialising. I feel so different, I feel so not normal. I feel everyone are just better at socialising. They got this nailed down somewhere down their lives but somehow I just missed it.

I just don't know what to do. I don't have confidence in my voice either so most of the time I try to end conversations with few words. Idk anything really.

Edit: Wow, I didn't expect this much reception to this post especially since it was very messy how I explained my problem. But you guys surprised me, haha. Thank you all for your advice. I'm reading every one of your replies! I love this community.

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[–] 16 points 19 hours ago (2 children)

This is less advice for at work and more just life advice in general: dress better.

I hate it because my go-to comfort clothing signals to people that I don't want to be interacted with. But if I dress up just a teeny tiny bit, even in a very casual, low-effort way, suddenly people smile at me, make jokes to me spontaneously, give me random compliments and have more patience with me when I'm talking.

Clothes change the difficulty level of people/socialization. It makes sense but it's also so opposed to how I'm wired. I still struggle with it.

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