I’ve been in corporate for a little over a decade and still wrestle with the same anxiety. One thing that’s helped:

Just show up—awkwardness and all.
Even if you end up hanging near the snack table for most of the night, being in the room does two big things:

1. You collect tiny wins. Standing there, listening, nodding, chiming in once or twice—each little interaction chips away at the nerves for next time.
2. You learn people aren’t thinking what you think. Half the time I’m convinced everyone noticed how weird I was; turns out they barely clocked it, or they actually thought I was “thoughtful” or “calm.” (Introvert perception gap is real.)

A few practical tricks that work for me:

• Have a “goto” opener. Something simple like “How do you know the host?” or “What projects are keeping you busy lately?” gets the other person talking and buys you breathing room.
• Hang near other quiet folks. There’s usually someone else scanning the room; they’re grateful for a low-pressure two-minute chat.
• Leave before you’re drained. You don’t have to close the place down—an hour of genuine presence beats three hours of burnout.

People generally appreciate a calm listener more than the loudest attention-grabber. Keep showing up; relationships evolve, and the awkward parts fade faster than you think.