How does one work on themselves when it comes to communication and other thoughts

    During my first year of college I got really depressed and only on the last few weeks of classes did I start seeing the campus psychologists (?) Anyways it's august and im planning to see them more often this semester. During the summer and a recent conversation with my sister made me realize that I do have problems with communication. Not really that I'm shy (though that is something that  I am) but that I tend to shut down and refuse to speak, or I never speak really. I also come off a bit mean to my sibling and half the time I will admit that its on purpose but the other half its like I talk before realizing how it can be interpreted. So even though I tend to over think a lot I don't really think of others. Anyways Im away for college and last time I tended to forget or think it was unnecessary to contact my family. So, one of the goals I have for myself now is to text my family good morning and goodnight. I haven't done that. I will tomorrow most likely. Anyways but doing just that won't fix much, I do plan on asking the counselors at my college when classes start soon. But until then I would like to ask whoever reads this. 

    What should I do to improve my issues of communicating with others? I know I could watch a YouTube video or read a book on it but (and you can rightfully criticize me) watching a YouTube video on it feels cheep and like ima reward myself before I actually change anything. At least it seem like that to me. 

    Also I want to get more comfortable with not having stuff on. Like I actually do want to lower my screen time and not just Turing off my video and stop scrolling and replace that with music or a podcast. Im trying to read more books but I don't want that either. For a long time and even now I don't like being alone with my thoughts and hated silence. But sometimes I feel like all I have is the stuff I see online. Right now while im trying to figure out what i'm trying to say and get my thoughts together and I have a video about an actor from the bear playing. Is this an internal consequence of seeing books movies and tv shows now be shrugged off as "content" and "performative clario labubu matcha with dubi chocolate'" prolly not maybe but it was funny writing that. I think apart of this is who am I with out my interest? but at the same time does that question even matter? because their not going away anytime soon. 

anyways that all for now thank you if you read it all <3