Meeting new people depends on tiny decisions: whether to attend, where to sit, whether to say hello. Overthinking makes those decisions feel more dangerous than they are.
Use a short countdown, choose a minimum action, decide before you arrive and judge the attempt by what you learned rather than by the immediate result. Most social choices are reversible.
Confidence follows action
You do not wait until you feel fearless. You make one small move, discover that you can handle it and let confidence catch up.