Getting a date sucks. I consider myself pretty normal, and maybe even slightly above average looking, and it's always been stress-inducing and painful to find women to date.

Not sure if this will help you, but you really just have to realize it's a numbers game. There are millions of women in your area--statistically some of them will find you attractive, and some of those you will also find attractive. So every woman you meet there will be a probability as to whether there will be a connection, like the odds on a lottery ticket. The difference is, it doesn't cost (money, anyway) to play.

So everywhere you go, when you see a woman--even if she might not be your ideal--just strike up a conversation. Out shopping and you see a woman, give her a complement. Like, "Excuse me, I'd just like to say, I really like your t-shirt/earrings/shoes/etc." Most of the time, that probably won't lead to anything--they'll just say thanks, you'll say have a nice day, and go about your business. Maybe once in a while one seems receptive, and then you ask follow up questions--"I'd like to get something like that for my sister/mom/cousin/friend. Where'd you get it?" Eventually, you'll get desensitized to the anxiety of talking to strangers, and then you can just be yourself. Each person you talk to is a lottery ticket, and eventually, odds are, you'll find someone with whom you strike a connection.

The less comfortable and the more self-conscious you are though, the less of a chance there is an attraction will take. So it can turn into a self-defeating cycle of being uncomfortable and being re-enforced in that discomfort by failed attempts. That's why it important to start low-stakes--just saying hi to or complement someone. Almost everyone is receptive to that. Eventually, you'll be able to talk to women (or men, for that matter) without much stress in almost any situation you find yourself in. Once you do that, you're casting a wide net and you're certain to find someone.