I thought everytime I looked someone directly in the eyes, they were instantly, right there on the spot, judging me. In a very negative way. Plus, I thought that people would start making conversations with me, and I dreaded being talked to. Especially by strangers. I was shy and abnormally introverted. Well, since I saw that my social isolation was hurting me, I decided to make small baby steps towards opening myself toward people. And practicing direct eye contact while on the street was one of these steps. And actually it's quite freeing once you do something you previously thought impossible to do. Right now, this behaviour has become second nature to me. And the advice I can give is pretty cliché but is really true at the same time. Stop caring that much what people you don't know will think of you.