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I don't think you ever fully do. But, brute force.

Putting myself in an uncomfortable situation tends to make it slightly easier the next time, and then a bit better the next time.

I think, for me, the anxiety is the unknown of the situation and what to do or how to act and how people will respond. Getting some reps seems to help.

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YMMV with this approach. For some people (myself included) and for some reason or the other, anxiety can increase with repeated exposure. Talking or perhaps writing about the experience after it happens might help combat this effect.

In my case the increased anxiety was basically rumination--constant, repetitive thinking whether I looked good in the eyes of the people I talked to, etc. It was basically trying to retroactively control other people's thoughts with the power of my mind. I still experience it, but it's far less frequent these days. And writing about it helps, just as you wrote, as then I can "escape" the loop in my head.

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