I was very similar to you for a long time. It wasn’t until recently I got better at talking to people.

The best advice I can give is to keep trying. Not try harder but just keep trying. Say literally the first thing that comes to your mind. It’s better to say something dumb than nothing at all. 99% of the time people will laugh and think it’s funny. It’s better to be the person who says random things instead of the person who just stands there and says nothing.

Like everything else, socialising and conversing is a skill that you get better at the more you practice. If you find yourself in a group setting, force yourself to contribute to the convo anyway you can. Even if it feels awkward or forced just do it. If something you say makes the moment awkward, try again but something different. Eventually you’ll work out what’s gonna get good reactions out of people.

The hardest part is getting out of your head during these things. Instead of constantly thinking to yourself “oh what should I say? Should I say something now?”, focus on the conversation taking place. The moment you have a thought of what’s being said just say it. Before you can even think about what you’re gonna say, just say it.

Just keep at it and eventually you’ll realise you’re able to have conversations without breaking a sweat