Being shy is really just having a feeling that you lack something. Some people are shy because they feel they are not good enough for others or that they are not as smart as others.

Shyness can also just be something that carries over from childhood when you were worried about being accepted so you hung out in the background. Now that you are an adult you can see that shyness holds you back and can really effect many aspects of your life.

The following list teaches five easy ways on how to overcome shyness. You can try all of them or only one or two. Do what it takes to help you step out of your shell.

1. Know how to carry on a good conversation.

You should learn good conversation starters. Try making a list and memorizing it or keeping it as a cheat sheet on your PDA. You need to also know how to handle awkward pauses in conversation to really learn how to overcome shyness.

Always have something to share to keep the conversation going. You need to learn how to handle rude or annoying people that may become a part of your conversation.

Learn all you can about how to carry on a good conversation. This will boost your confidence which goes a long way in overcoming shyness.

2. Tell people you are shy.

This may be the best way to learn how to overcome shyness. With many addictions the first step to stopping them is to admit you have a problem. Well, shyness is almost the same thing.

Once you tell people you are shy they will try to help you feel comfortable and overcome your shy tendencies. It also breaks the ice as others may be feeling shy as well or they may have been shy at some point in their life and can share some tips with you on how they overcame it.

Just do not hide the fact you are shy. Once it is out in the open you will feel much more at ease.

3. Be happy when you try.

Overcoming shyness is not simple. You have a very deep rooted habit here and you will not cure yourself in one attempt. Be happy when you try to fight your shy tendencies.

Look at every try as positive. Once you start associating a good feeling with not being shy it will become easier top stop the shyness all together.

4. Practice one social skill at a time.

You should start out slowly by trying to do one thing at a time. This way you can master that skill before moving on.

Once you start mastering aspects of communication and social interaction that is something that can help you to not feel shy. You will gain confidence and be one step closer to mastering how to overcome shyness.

5. Take some classes.

You can find classes on all aspects of communication. Maybe you do not where to start - a class can help get your thoughts in order and give you a feeling of knowing what you are doing. Taking classes is good for someone who likes to have a good plan to make them feel confident.

Shyness can be almost like a crippling disease. You can fail to make friends, lose business or even start to effect your own children so they end up growing up shy as well.

Deciding you want to know how to overcome shyness is an important step and one that should be taken by anyone who is suffering due to being shy.