I am recovering from a bad period in my life where I dropped out from high school, gained weight, stopped taking care of myself, etc.
I got my GED and majored in something good at uni and I am slowly making basic hygiene and self-care a routine.
Instead of letting my hair go wild I started getting haircuts at decent but cheap barbers.
I also started dressing a tad bit better within my budget.
Now, I have always struggled with socializing (never made friends, literally) due to being a bit autistic. Not enough for it to be obvious, but I don't appear natural when socializing for long.
I picked up every guide, book and tutorial on how to be better:
Modern Etiquette.
Social Skills.
Common sense stuff (being friendly, etc.)
However, I am scared that I might overdo the niceness and appear superficial.
I am also losing weight to look better. Hell, even sleeping better so I can have a better mood and energy to interact with people.
It's all very overwhelming for me and I feel like I am still not natural when talking.
What to do about this?
The most infuriating thing is that if a conversation goes off script and people start making small talk, I start stuttering and don't really know how to respond with spontaneity. How to fix this?
Thank you