@xRavenx, I am very similar to you. What I try to do in those group situations is a focus on 1 or 2 people sitting next to me and I try to strike up a conversation with them, 1:1. If that doesn't work, then I sit quietly listening to the group's conversation and smile and nod or laugh when appropriate. That shows you are participating in some fashion, even though you're not sharing or talking in the group. When I feel awkward, I just smile to myself and tell myself that these people do not need to be my friends. Work is different than normal life. At work, we have to put on a bit of a facade - we have to pretend to be interested or enthusiastic when we may not be, and we have to be engaged in our work when sometimes we may not feel like it. Work is all about putting on a facade to a certain extent, at least from my perspective. So, I take on the old "fake it 'til you make it" kind of approach and attitude. Finally, I don't expect my work colleagues to be my friends. I have friendships outside of work I rely on. But at work? I am there to get a job done, and to earn a paycheck. That's the way you need to view work colleagues. They don't have to be your friends. I hope this helps somewhat, or at the very least, to help you feel like you're not alone with this issue.