First of all, I want you to know that you are not alone. Basically everyone has some degree of social anxiety.
Everyone wants connection, but it can be so scary. Remember that others are in the same boat as you even if you don't see it on the outside, so you already have that in common with them!
I find that it is really helpful to give our self a little pep talk before we enter a social situation.
Perhaps your scared inner child needs to hear:
-You have a lot of fun stories to share.
-People enjoy being around you.
-Going up to someone can be scary, but it might be really fun.
-You are so cool as you are. There is no need to be any particular way.
Maybe the part of you that is afraid needs to have permission from you:
-It is ok to not know what to say.
-It is ok to stand alone.
-It is ok if not everyone gets you. Be yourself anyways.
-You don't have to be perfect in every conversation.
-You don't have to be impress anyone. You are already awesome, no matter what!
As we are able to increase our self-esteem, social anxiety will not feel as powerful. A lot of our self-esteem is due to subconscious beliefs about our self.
Repetition is very important for upgrading our subconscious beliefs. Keep telling yourself how amazing you are.
After events, congratulate yourself for all the little risks you took like complimenting someone. Remind yourself how other people seemed to enjoy being around you.
Hope this helps...it helped me ;)