Write an article based on this "Let your comfort level be your guide. Have a friendly demeanor. Stay receptive. Ask people questions about themselves. Share things about yourself. Make an effort to stay in touch. Repair damaged relationships."
Look within yourself to decide how comfortable you feel opening up to someone. You may feel more vulnerable at some times than you do at others, and it's okay to guard yourself when you don't feel comfortable. Identify what you are comfortable with, as well as what makes you uncomfortable. Each time you're with someone, take small steps to push yourself to get closer to them while still honoring your comfort level. You might start by offering a nice comment to a coworker. On another encounter, you might offer them a small token of friendship, such as a donut or coffee. When you feel ready, you could invite them to do something. Smile and greet people when you see them. If someone makes small talk with you, participate in the conversation instead of giving them one-word replies. When you see someone you know, take a minute to say hello and ask how they are. If you're shy, you might be used to minding your own business in public, so start slowly. Work on making eye contact and smiling. When you feel more comfortable, start chatting with people more often. Be willing to meet new people and expand your social horizons. See the good side of your friends and acquaintances, and take an optimistic view of your relationships. If any new opportunities or invitations come your way, accept them. For instance, if your classmate asks you to study with her later, say yes, even if you aren't sure you'll like it. Give her (and yourself) a chance. Build connections with other people by being interested in them. Try to find out more about your acquaintances' goals, families, likes, and dislikes. When you're with your friends, ask them about any projects they've been working on or issues they've been dealing with lately. For instance, you could ask something like, "Why did you decide to major in architecture?" or "How are you liking your new apartment?" Of course, you don't want to ask anything too personal, like "Why are you getting divorced?" unless you know the person well and get the sense that they want to talk about it with you. To maintain a friendship, asking questions isn't enough you've got to talk about yourself, too. As you get to know people, share more of your thoughts and personality quirks. Opening up to others will make them feel like you're invested in the relationship. For instance, if your closest pals are sharing their dreams, it might be nice to share your own. You might say, "You know I've always secretly dreamed of spending a year traveling the world." Consider telling your close friends that you're trying to stop pushing others away. That will help your friends understand you better. They may even be able to help you, if you let them. Once you've connected with someone, do your best to keep them in your life. Don't cancel social plans you've made, even if you feel anxious. Respond to your friends promptly when they reach out to you, and if you don't hear from someone for a while, call or text them yourself. Keeping in touch with people can be hard work, especially if you're used to ducking out of relationships when you get uncomfortable. However, if you want to keep people around, you've got to stay on their radar. If you're really not feeling up to talking, don't leave your friends hanging. Say something like, "I can't meet up today, but I'd love to see you soon. How about Thursday?" If you've let things lapse with someone you care about, call them up or email them. Explain why you pushed them away, and apologize for any hurt you caused them. If they're willing to revive the relationship, promise to treat them better in the future. If a former friend doesn't want to revive the friendship, accept their answer and leave them alone, but let them know they can contact you if they change their mind. Keep in mind that apologizing won't fix a broken relationship overnight. To make things right in the long term, you'll have to be a better friend from here on out.