No matter who you are or where you come from, you are never safe from social awkwardness, unless of course you have tips on how to handle awkward situations up your sleeve. At some point in your life, you have probably faced horrifying social situations from which it was impossible to recover; to be honest we all have! For something that is so universally shared, it is interesting that we still haven’t mastered how to overcome it. While these tips on how to handle awkward situations are not guaranteed to work perfectly, there is no harm in trying.
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1. Laugh It off
One of the first tips on how to handle awkward situations is to laugh it off. If you said something out of context or your friend made a tasteless joke, the best escape is laughter! It can really diffuse awkward tension and release any nervous emotions. Keep in mind, this works especially well once you learn how to naturally fake genuine laughter, so let’s get to practicing.
2. Make an Excuse
If you are forced to talk to your ex or someone that you are just not comfortable with, sometimes the best thing to do is to remove yourself from the situation. Make a random but believable excuse to get you out from that awkward situation and you will be free! Just make sure your white lie is undetectable!
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3. Make Small Talk
In the moment of awkward silence, time seems to drag along endlessly. Both parties are unable to come up with something to talk about and the atmosphere just gets extremely uncomfortable. However in order to fill those gaps of awkward silence just try to make small talk and bring up an interesting topic. It might be random at first, but the conversation will smooth itself out with time.
4. Diffuse Awkwardness with Jokes
When awkwardness just keeps lingering in the air, sense of humor is a deadly weapon. Throwing in a few jokes here and there can really save a conversation! Once you get everyone laughing, the whole atmosphere will become more relaxed and the awkwardness will gradually drift away.
5. Keep Walking and Don’t Look Back
If you happen to fall or trip in public in the midst of strangers, the best you can do is get up and keep on walking. Don’t look back to see who has turned around because eye contact can only lead to even more awkward tension. Two steps later you won’t even remember your embarrassing and awkward social situation.
6. Act Natural
People usually say ‘Fake it until you make it’ and they are right when it comes to awkward situations! Acting out of character will only add onto the awkwardness, while pretending like everything is just peachy will help you when you need it most. After all, the whole situation is what you make of it, so take control!
7. Approach the Awkwardness Head on
While you can always distract yourself from the awkwardness and flee from the situation, you can also just approach it head on. For example if somebody is putting down your family member or friend in your presence, you can always speak out and voice your disapproval.
Awkward situations are inevitable so we might as well learn how to overcome them. What are some of your personal methods on how to take on awkward situations? Share your tips in the comments.
Comments
Miriam: Needed this..... Thanx :)
Ashley: Much needed due to the fact I am in an awkward position right now
Zakiya: Loved this
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