Firstly, smile! People will relax and be happy around a person who is lighthearted and down to earth, putting you in a more comfortable environment. Secondly, don't take yourself or life too seriously - then if you mess up or embarrass yourself (which I do every day!) then you and others can laugh about it and you won't feel too on the spot. Thirdly, and surprisingly, just be nice to people, which seems rather simple but very true. People will be attracted to your personality and kindness (you already seem very grounded and approachable), allowing you to branch out and gain confidence in engaging with more people. Trust me, I HATE my appearance, but I realised that for now there is nothing I can do about it. And I've also come to realise that people's personalities always shine through and outweigh appearance any day - I see it all the time at school. So I've accepted myself, as have others, and am getting along just fine. So, just relax ;) take a breath, and let the confidence creep slowly and naturally to you. Trust me, I've been at rock bottom confidence-wise, and using these tips helped me progress a lot. I'm now very confident around others (including strangers!) so I really hope this helps. Good luck!x
