How can I avoid pauses in conversation?

(M20) I used to have no issue starting and maintaining conversations but recently I have a weird issue where I just blank and can’t think of a single interesting thing to say or a question that can illicit a real response. I have been meeting markedly fewer people recently and even have found myself wracking my brain in awkward silences for just something to say which is weird cause I never had to think at all before to meet people. Can anyone give me any advice on techniques to figure out what someone actually wants to talk about or ways to stop myself from blanking I would appreciate it.