If you have been struggling to feel comfortable in social situations ever since the pandemic, according to Thomas, there are ways you can rebuild your social skills.

Here are a few ideas to try:

1. Start small: practise in social situations you feel comfortable in, such as with close friends or family. Don’t put yourself into unfamiliar, anxiety-provoking situations too quickly; allow the process to be gradual.

2. Ask open-ended questions: in other words, questions that need more than a simple yes or no answer. This can help improve the quality and flow of your conversations.

3. Improve your body language: try to avoid appearing closed off or uninterested, for example with your arms crossed. Make use of hand gestures and your facial expressions, as non-verbal communication is just as important in a conversation as verbal communication.

4. Fake it til you make it: visualisation can be a very powerful tool, particularly when building confidence. If you imagine what a confident, sociable person would look like, you can model their actions and the way they communicate.

5. Find opportunities to socialise: practice makes perfect, and the more you avoid social situations the more your anxiety will build. As a result, it’s important to gradually expose yourself to new social situations to give you opportunities to build your social skills.

Everyone starts with a different level of comfort in social situations, so everyone’s journey back to ‘normal’ after the pandemic will look very different. Some people may wish to practise their conversational skills – others may want to change their approach to socialising altogether. Either way, if you’re feeling weird about your ability to converse, cut yourself some slack. Chances are, most other people are too.

Feel like your chat still isn’t as good as it was before the pandemic? You’re not alone