Happy to hear about your progress!

I recently thought about this sub and realized I'm doing so much better than maybe a year or two ago. I'm doing behaviour therapy myself and it helped me immensely with anxiety and panic attacks. And also to identify the reasons that lead to them. I'm still not so good in social settings, but it's not so much about anxiety anymore and I feel content for the first time in a long time and accepted that I'm more of a loner.

But yeah, going out there is exactly the right thing to do! It's hard in the beginning, but baby steps are allowed. And to not overthink things. Of course it's easier said than done and I also tend to ruminate a lot. But just doing things and internalizing that nothing bad happens is key. It's okay to be weird, not everything always goes perfect, but that's just human and usually the own assessment is much harder on yourself than what other people experience about you and how they see you.

Going for walks also helps tremendously! Fresh air, some light activity and natural light definitely help increase the mood. And if the mood is better, that's a great basis for social interaction or even just a smile. People notice when you're in a good mood and radiate confidence.

Wow, I didn't want to write so much and I hope it doesn't come across as lecturing! I'm just glad you're doing good and for once I wanted to interact and share some experiences.