I consider myself improving at social anxiety, but talking to strangers in-person, especially women, is still verrrrrry new to me.

I was doing an exersize on a machine in the corner of a gym, and some woman comes up to use the machine right next to me. It's the Hyperextensions machine, so she's just looking down while doing her set. I notice out of the corner of my eye she turns her head to look at me for a few seconds at a time. And not just once, multiple times.

In my head I think "she's just making sure I'm not creeping on her" but I also get quite anxious thinking she might want me to start a conversation. Anyway the devil wins, I stay silent, and she leaves.

I don't feel bad because I missed an opportunity, I feel bad because I had literally no idea what to say. I froze up. What could I have even said? "haha come here often?"