Most of the time the conversation starts off well, but it always becomes too repetitive. I don’t know what to do during those moments because my brain just goes blank and all I can do is just smile and nod. I can tell at this point that the person is also feeling uncomfortable as well. It might be because I tend to start conversations with a certain topic in mind, but I have no idea how to follow up with it once they reply.
My low self-esteem and the fact that I tend to dissociate in social situations may also be a part of the reason why this happens. In a lot of social settings, I feel like I have to force myself to feel the same emotions everyone else is feeling. I try to mask it, however, people can easily sense the different vibe I give off.
It also maybe because I don’t tend to talk about myself much. I find it hard to open up to others and express myself which leads to shallow conversations.
Any advice for me? I really want to be able to be natural and loosen myself up more when talking to people.