[neel8986]

One thing that has worked is taking the effort. Make a phone call to that old school friend. Ask coworkers to go out for a drink after work. Inviting neighbours to watch a game over food. Joining a local deep learning meetup. We have to take the extra effort to overcome the social anxiety. Rejection is absolutely fine. Respect their space and move on without hard feeling.

One interesting thing is modern society has broken all of us. Human beings are not evolved to stay in isolation in a place so far from where you grew up. Loneliness is affecting everyone. So when you take the extra effort, you are also filling their gap.

[foobarian]

Solitary confinement is one of the most extreme punishments used in prisons to the point it's controversial. And yet we do it to ourselves voluntarily!

[crimsontech]

It’s not really the same though. Solitary confinement in a prison is lack of any type of stimulation. You are on your own in a small empty room with nothing to do.

Hardly the same as being free to do whatever you want in your own home surrounded by entertainment and stimulation and knowing you have the ability to communicate with others if you want.

[Melatonic]

This is it really - the more I tried it the more people just absolutely loved it. People suck at keeping up with each other - if you make any effort at all (and do it regularly) suddenly you appear to be the social butterfly. When all it really takes is the occasional phone call or text message