Always do what you are afraid to do.

Fear is a decent alarm and a poor advisor. Most of what frightens you day to day is not dangerous at all; it is exposed, uncertain, possibly embarrassing, and avoiding it quietly shrinks the territory you are willing to live in. Real danger still deserves your caution, but the ordinary flinch before a hard conversation or an honest attempt is usually pointing straight at the thing that would change something.

Pick the smallest item on your list of avoided things and do it this week. Notice afterwards how much of the dread lived in the waiting. The next one comes easier for having done it.