^^ I think that's great and sound advice.
I would say if nothing else, practice and don't be hard on yourself.
The reason social anxiety perpetuates is the person who has it has crazy inaccurate perception and grossly negative self image. People in the grips of social anxiety, even after they muster up the courage to go out in public, will heap piles of shame and criticism on themselves about how much they FAILED -
no matter how the actual interaction went. And while they are out in public they will be constantly telling themselves like, "you suck, you're so awkward, no body wants you here, etc." These are all destructive thought patterns and that's what causes the anxiety, not any kind of actual social interaction or behavior.
No one is as bad as they think they are. NO ONE.
Be forgiving of yourself, and if you feel awkward or uncomfortable, get over it. Almost everyone gets awkward once in a while. And everyone is someone else's 'weirdo'. Those terms "awkward, weird, etc." are practically meaningless. It's a secret that once you figure out will make life much easier for you.
So get rid of the negative thoughts and make gradual steps to get out there and the rest will fall into place.