And often youll make things even more awkward by drawing attention to how awkward you are.
Social awkwardness can be a vicious cycle.
Being socially awkward is not a diagnosis or disorderand we willallbe a little socially awkward at times.
Tom Werner / Getty Images
But, what does it actually mean to be socially awkward?
One study looked at narratives ofsocially awkward situationsto find the common thread.
Those behaviors displayed awkwardness through anxious, hesitant or avoidant actions orbody languagecues.
Accept thatand then redirect your attention and behavior to the other person.
Socially effective people show interest in others and their interactions.
You might do this byasking someone questions about themselvesor sharing some information.
This will serve to rebalance the situation and shift focus away from yourself.
Often in these situations, people want to resolve them immediatelybecause they are so uncomfortable.
Decide How to Respond
There are two major ways to respond to social awkwardness.
One way is to just play it off like it never happened.
The other is to laugh at yourself.
Might this draw more attention to it?
Maybe, but so what if it does?
OK, it happens.
No, you are not inherently unlovable because you happened to fall over yourself.
Consider yourself an investigatorwhere is this feeling of should coming from?
Does it go back to your childhood?
Is there a certain teacher or boss voice youre hearing in your heard?
Do You Feel a Need to Be Perfect?
Is it driven by how you think or feel about a situation?
Or does it have more to do with the way you conduct yourself?
He suggests thinking about what a more comfortable social experience might feel like.
For example, maybe cocktail parties with people you havent seen in a long time make you feel anxious.
Or maybe youre self-conscious about your looks.
Take Into Account Cultural Differences
There may be cultural differences at play.
In fact, the hashtag #sociallyawkward has been used more than 115,000 times on Instagram!
which pokes fun at herself.
Youll either celebrate yourself for feeling confident or celebrate yourself for reminding yourself that you got through it.
Sure, it felt awkward, but the world didnt end.
You are a human, and humans arent always perfectwhat fun would that be?
Clegg JW.The importance of feeling awkward: a dialogical narrative phenomenology of socially awkward situations.Qualitative Research in Psychology.
The assessment of individual differences in humor styles in Spain.Personality and Individual Differences.
