One tactic that has really helped me feel confident—even excited—walking into rooms full of strangers is to come up with 2–3 things I would genuinely like to learn about someone before I arrive. At first this felt weird, like I was being calculating or performative. But that’s bullshit. Taking the time to determine what you find most intriguing about other people is in fact deeply caring, considerate, and generous, and it’s the best method I know of being comfortable in my own skin.