Yeah, I've started caring less and less about the past and I focus more on the present now. I find that pretending I only have a few years left to live a bit motivating and stress relieving. Makes it so I can focus on making my life better for both the short-term as well as long-term.

For how long have you been having this thoughts?

Yes, it really does take a long time to adjust to interacting with more people. For me, I find that the best ways to keep myself from getting too nervous are to take a deep breath when I start stuttering or get my words twisted, straightening my posture before I start speaking again so that I'm not slouching, and making eye contact. When all else fails... well, I just smile and nod, lol.