Military helps, when they suddenly throw you in a leadership position without any prior experience. Also NCO school. Which is about leading, from marching troops around to giving instructional classes. Give an air of confidence, fake it if you have to. And always be decisive. A wrong decision is better than no decision. Preparation will lessen the wrong decisions while gaining confidence.
Well, if you feel that you may have SAD, get outside now. Instead of talking to friends on IM or MySpace, routinely set up places to meet, like for lunch. Because the longer you avoid physical contact with others, the worse it becomes. Japan doesn't have a hikkomori problem because of genetics. It's that we can now live and communicate with others while being physically alone. .ie to feel symptoms of SAD when staying home for long periods is natural.
