Can You Relate? The Awkward Silence
Hey friends!
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Well, that was awkward. Ha. Can you relate to this situation? You’re at a party and you’re chit-chatting away with a new acquaintance and then suddenly…out of nowhere…comes…nothing! Silence. Then that nervous feeling in the pit of your stomach begins to churn and you start to panic a little or pull out the savior of all awkward silences…
Isn’t it amazing how a game of Words with Friends can look like you’re responding to a very important email?!
We’ve all had moments of awkward silence. It’s inevitable. So…what do you do when that happens? Here are a few tips that will help you break free of the awkward silence death grip. (Disclaimer: These by no means make you immune to the awkward silence)
These are super simple and more of reminders. The first one is: Change the subject. That’s easy enough. Ask the other person a question, talk about a current event, the latest viral YouTube video, or ask their opinion (what did you think of the cake, their view on the latest Kardashian drama, etc…btw…kidding on the Kardashian thing).
Acknowledging the awkward moment always lightens the mood…unless you say that was awkward followed by another long awkward pause. Use this to transition into something else. You could even joke, “Well…I usually like to say goodbye on an awkward note, so that’s my cue. Seriously, I’ve enjoyed meeting you and talking with you. Hope to see you again soon.”
Instead of bearing the burden of weirdness, transfer it somewhere else. You could say something like, “Check out that delicious looking cake. Have you had any?” Or you could say, “Did you hear that so and so just got promoted?”
To keep a conversation flowing with a lower risk of awkward silence, always stay away from yes and no questions and answers.
Always, always try and listen intently to the other person. If it’s a noisy room with a lot of distractions, I try and pick up the main headings or bullet points from the other person’s story. Sometimes I’ll try and look for things to ask questions about so I can become involved in the story.
Of course, if all else fails…break out in dance (particularly the Harlem Shake). It always eases the situation. Seriously, though…just remember to relax. 99.9% of people that come to a party or crowded situation feel nervous that they’ll say something wrong. Just relax and have fun!
And above all else…
Party On!
An awkward silence is the worst when it’s with someone you’ve just met or if you’re the odd man out in a group, but I think that awkward responses can be just as bad (and funny!). You know, when you ask someone what they think of the appetizers and they answer that that was the most bizarre news story of the week. (Always seems to happen if the other person is holding a cellphone!) Ever had that one happen to you?