this is going to sound silly by i actually learned a lot about how to interact with people through Stardew Valley. talking to the villagers every day and occasionally bringing them gifts (up to twice a week) deepened those in-game relationships
so i thought: what if real life works similarly? what if all i have to do is just put myself out there and talk to the same people a few times a week?
so i tried it. i started putting myself more out there and work to build better connections with my time. i started putting myself out there on discord servers to make friends. i started posting on here and interacting with people. i started playing more games with friends i used to only see occasionally. etc etc
for an added touch, i started complimenting and sincerely expressing gratitude to the people i work with. and work feels so much easier socially now??
saying "you're the best" or "i appreciate you" really boosted my relationships a lot. a little goes a long way when we're all so isolated and feeling under-appreciated
saying nice things to others un-prompted can feel very awkward at first, especially if you're part of a marginalized identity that's stigmatized as violent or predatory. i'm not saying this advice is a blanket cure or one-size-fits-all method
just that being nice and showing up for people (especially the ones i already talk to) has brought a lot of good into my life and i think that's worth trying
