[marginalia_nu]

I think expectations are important here.

Sometimes you see people taking this type of advice and throwing themselves into various uncomfortable situations, only to conclude that man, these situations sure are uncomfortable, I guess this must mean that I really am irredeemably socially awkward.

Realistically, uncomfortable situations are still going to be uncomfortable. You may expand your comfort zone through exposure, but when you're way outside of it, that never feels great.

I'd also suggest a therapist is a great way to work through anxiety issues. It's very difficult to debug your brain on your own. It's very hard to tell what's just part of the baseline human experience, and what's a problem that you could benefit from working on.