We feel awkward. Keep watching for opportunities in casual conversations to express a feeling or an opinion tactfully. Most people are interested in genuine feelings, especially if the feelings involve them. It is nourishment for growing friendships. So are the other person's.
Feelings have to be shared, diplomatically.
This takes time. If you have a problem in this area and carefully concentrated on it for a week, you would be expressing yourself differently. If you decide to openly disclose some strong feelings, many people will quickly urge you to suppress your feelings. There is a big difference in intent, if not in actual words. This can become a power struggle.