Social awkwardness is something that many of us experience, even if we don’t like admitting it. It can be a major source of stress in our lives, but luckily there are ways to reduce social awkwardness and increase comfort when interacting with others. In this article, we’ll take a look at what social awkwardness is and how you can overcome it.
Ask questions and make conversation
- Ask questions and make conversation. Asking someone about their interests is a great way to start a conversation, especially if you’re both in the same field or have similar hobbies. If you’re not sure where to begin, try asking them what they’ve been reading lately. You can also ask them what music they like or who their favorite artists are. If you think that person might have some interesting perspectives on a certain topic—like politics or religion—you could always ask what they think about it, but avoid bringing up controversial topics like money or sex unless you know the person well enough (and trust me: asking someone who works at McDonald’s how much money she makes probably won’t go over very well). And don’t talk too long about yourself! Make sure that when people ask how your day was (or any other basic questions), give brief answers without going into too much detail.*
Listen, don’t judge
The next time you’re talking to someone, try the following:
- Listen actively. Pay attention to what they say and how they say it. Ask yourself why they might be saying what they are saying and what message you think they are trying to convey.
- Don’t judge them or their words—just listen for meaning. Try not to react emotionally, as this can lead to defensiveness on both sides. Instead, focus on understanding the other person’s perspective at first so that you can approach any disagreements later in a more productive way.
- Stay focused on the present moment when interacting with others as much as possible; don’t let your mind wander into thoughts of past events or future plans (which may cause anxiety). Bring yourself back into the current situation by focusing on maintaining eye contact with whoever is speaking with you right now and remembering how much silence there is between us when we talk about nothing at all
Be nice to everyone in the group
- Be nice to everyone in the group
- Don’t be mean to anyone in the group
- Don’t judge anyone in the group
- Don’t put anyone down in the group
- Don’t ignore anyone in the group
- Don’t make fun of anyone in the group
Bring something new to the table.
The next time you find yourself in a social situation, bring something new to the table. This can be anything from a new topic of conversation to a new perspective on an old topic that’s been discussed before. If you’re at dinner with a group of people and everyone is tired of talking about their work day, change the subject to something that interests everyone: “What are your favorite movies?” Or if everyone is stuck on the same topic, bring in some outside information by offering up some research or statistics that show how absurdly wrong they all are: “I just read an article about how many minutes per day we spend looking at our phones…it was crazy!” You don’t need to break out into song or tell any embarrassing stories (although those can be fun too). Just share something interesting that might make them rethink their previous ideas about whatever topic was being discussed before you spoke up.
Make your own fun
- Find a friend, or a small group of people that you can talk to and have fun with.
- Try to find a group of people that you can easily talk to and feel comfortable with.
- Join a club or a class, and make friends with people who share your interests.
Find common ground with people that you normally wouldn’t gravitate towards.
Here’s the thing: people like you. They really do! The awkwardness is all in your head. It doesn’t matter if you don’t feel like a social butterfly, because when you meet someone new, they don’t care about that either. They just want to have fun and be themselves. So if you make an effort to connect with people, they will appreciate it and make an effort back. You can find common ground by asking them questions or sharing stories—or even just complimenting them on their clothes or hair or jewelry!
If they seem genuinely interested in what you have to say, keep talking! Don’t worry about being boring; just keep going until the conversation has run its course (which shouldn’t take long). If nothing else happens after this point—no worries! You’ve tried your best and made a new friend (or at least someone who wants to be friends).
Don’t check your phone all the time.
The first and most important rule of socializing: don’t check your phone all the time.
It’s rude to be on your phone when you’re supposed to be socializing, and it can make others feel uncomfortable as well. If you feel like you have to check your phone, excuse yourself from the conversation for a few minutes until you finish whatever it is that requires checking your phone. As soon as possible after returning to the group, try turning off notifications or at least setting them on silent so they don’t distract others around you.
Fake it ‘til you make it!
The next time you find yourself in social situations with people who are better at it than you, don’t get hung up on how awkward things feel. Instead, try to be confident and have fun. Act confident by doing things that make you feel more comfortable—like smiling or being loud and proud in your excitement over something silly (or not so silly). And if all else fails, fake it until you make it!
Don’t be afraid of socializing, with these tips you’ll be ready to conquer any social situation
You’ve made it to the end of this article, and now you are ready to conquer any social situation. With these tips in your back pocket, you should be able to go out into the world with confidence and comfort. If you have any questions or concerns about this topic or need more information on how to overcome your awkwardness, we encourage you to contact us at ssinharoy@aajkaakhbaar.com where we will be happy to help.
If you’re feeling awkward, it’s okay. Everyone feels that way sometimes, even the most confident people in their lives. Instead of trying to change how you feel, try practicing being yourself and enjoying the company of others. And if all else fails and no one wants to talk with you? Try making friends with someone new instead!
