Acting Shy
Be meek. To be meek means to be quiet, or to have a kind of gentle
demeanor. Even though these are traits of a shy person, they can also be good
qualities to possess. Meekness can lend itself to approachability, which can
actually make you appear more marketable during things like job interviews in
the future. Keep to yourself, especially if there is any kind of drama going
on. Be humble and kind, and don’t let your ego get inflated
Even if your goal is to keep people at a distance and not interact much
with others, it still pays to practice being approachable for the future when
it will pay off in your favor.
Avoid speaking too much. In class, you might sit closer to the back of the
room and keep to yourself. Avoid raising your hand and volunteering during
class discussions. If people are hanging out and talking in the hall, don’t join
in. The less you speak up, the more shy you’ll appear.
Don’t let acting shy make you also appear rude. Don’t blatantly ignore
someone if they speak to you, especially if it’s a teacher or person of
authority.
Avoid participating at events or activities outside school. Shy people
tend to stay away from social situations. Shy people can be socially awkward
sometimes, and gathering in groups can be a source of anxiety. You can choose
to not attend these events, but if you do go, keep to yourself at them. Sit
quietly by yourself. You could bring a book to read or play on your phone. This
will make you appear shy.
Events like parties, pep rallies, and sporting events are usually full
of people being loud and crazy, so if you want to appear shy, you’ll want to
act the opposite.
Let other people start conversations. Shy people have trouble initiating
conversations. If you want to act shy, don’t approach people and start
conversations. Let others talk first, whether one-on-one or in groups.
Shy people also have trouble keeping conversations going. Keep your
conversations short and to the point.
Keep a small circle of friends. Since many shy people have difficulty
getting close with people, try to only keep a few good friends that you spend
time with regularly. Having a huge group of friends might make you come off as
a popular or outgoing person, which isn’t really what you’re going for.
Feel free to act more like yourself around these close friends. Just
because you want to act shy at school doesn’t mean you’ll want to cut yourself
off from having any meaningful relationships at all.
Keep a book with you at school. Keeping your nose in a book when
you’re in social situations can help you appear shy. It will make you look
studious, rather than just socially awkward sitting there silently doing
nothing. If you keep a novel with you to read at lunchtime, for example, it can
help you keep to yourself. Keep to yourself in class. As mentioned, you’ll
want to avoid participating in class discussions, and only answer if the
teacher calls on you directly. If the class breaks up to do group work, hang
back on your own and do your own work. If you must be part of a group, do your
work quietly and keep your eyes down on your paper.
Don’t avoid speaking to the teacher if they call on you. You don’t want
to end up getting scolded or in trouble because you are acting shy.
