Not everyone can walk into a room and be as poised and confident as they come. Some of us are just plain awkward. Here’s how to stop being so awkward.
I’ll be the first to admit that I am a super awkward person. You’d never know just by looking at me, but I am. A lot of quirky people tend to give off an awkward vibe when they walk into a room or jump into a conversation with a group.
I’m not sure what it is about us, but we have a tendency to read into certain situations in a different way than others and then respond in a way that makes people raise their eyebrows at us in confusion. Hello, awkward!
How to stop your awkward habits
While being awkward can be charming in certain situations, there are other situations where being awkward can make things so much harder for you – like when you want to pick up that hot person at the bar.
Lucky for us, being awkward isn’t something that we’ll have to live with forever. Most people outgrow their awkward stage by the age of 15, others keep that awkwardness well into their mid-twenties – or longer! If you want to ditch the awkward behavior and start being confident and assertive, here’s how to do it. [Read: Loosen up! Your complete guide to overcome social awkwardness]
#1 Be sure of yourself. A lot of a person’s awkwardness stems from being uncertain and shy. So in order to not be awkward, be more sure of your actions and be sure of the things you say. Don’t blindly comment on a topic that you’re uncertain of because if you’re wrong, it’ll be awkward.
#2 Don’t interject in conversations immediately. If you overhear a conversation and think you may have something to contribute, don’t just jump in and comment on it. You’ll not only interrupt the person talking, but you’ll also very distinctly announce your presence and that could be quite awkward.
Instead, slowly walk up to the group of people and wait patiently while the other person talks. If you still feel that your comment is relevant, wait for a pause and then say it.
#3 Show up to events early. There’s nothing that makes a person look more awkward than showing up to an event very loudly and after everyone is already there. The attention will immediately be placed on you walking through the door and create one big awkward moment – not to mention what would happen if you tripped!
Show up either on time or 10 minutes early to an event to ensure that you won’t be starting off the evening on an awkward note. [Read: The art of making small talk without feeling awkward all the time]
#4 Keep your phone on you at all times. A cell phone to an awkward person is a life saver. Not only will you be able to have an escape if you’re stuck standing there alone, but you’ll also be able to use your phone for new topics of conversation as well. It’s like a buffer tool between you and your awkwardness.
#5 Don’t tell jokes to new people. While it may seem easy to break the ice with a good joke, you’ll more than likely only make things more awkward. When you meet a new group of people, you never want to tell them a joke because you don’t know their personalities. You could end up offending someone or standing there laughing alone. [Read: How to be funny and make people love your company]
#6 Stop babbling and ask questions instead. Over-talking is a common mistake that most awkward people make. Instead of talking someone’s ear off, ask them questions about the topic they’re talking about and listen to them talk instead.
#7 Be friendly! People will forget all about your awkwardness if you’re friendly. Not only will it help people like you and ignore that part of you, but being mean can also induce a ton of awkward moments between you and other people. So always be pleasant! [Read: 15 little things you say and do that’ll make everyone love you instantly]
#8 Forget about your awkwardness. Nothing is going to make you feel or act more awkward than you thinking that you’re being awkward. Funny how that works, isn’t it? So forget about the fact that you’re awkward and go be yourself.
#9 Think about positive aspects of yourself. Dwelling on the negative awkward tendencies you have will only make matters worse. Instead, think about all the great qualities you have to offer people. You’re smart, funny, and kind – all of which stand out more than your awkwardness.
#10 Let the awkward silences be silent. Don’t be that person who breaks the awkward silence – especially by pointing out that it is, in fact, awkward. Just keep your silence instead and wait for someone else to bring up a new topic of discussion. [Read: 8 easy ways to avoid awkward silences and feel comfortable]
You’ll take any awkward attention off of you and the transition will be made much easier.
#11 Stick with a non-awkward friend all the time. Do you have a friend that is confident and seems to never have an awkward moment? Then stick with them as much as you can. Not only will they make you seem less awkward, but they’ll dissipate any awkward moments you have with their charm.
#12 Don’t worry about what other people think so much. Stop worrying about how awkward you’re being and what other people think of it! As long as you’re happy with who you are, it doesn’t really matter what other people think.
Being self-conscious is only going to add to your nervousness and heighten your awkwardness. So forget about what other people think and just have fun being you. [Read: 20 signs you’re a people pleaser and don’t realize it]
#13 Keep personal information about someone to yourself. Being awkward also tends to go hand in hand with remembering too much personal information about someone. Do you remember someone’s birthday but haven’t spoken to them in 10 years? Then just keep it to yourself.
If you know someone is dating a person and it’s really none of your business, don’t bring it up in a conversation with a lot of people around. It makes you look creepy and will induce an awkward moment.
#14 Embrace funny awkward moments. Not every awkward moment you have is going to be so debilitating that you want to crawl into a corner and never see the light of day again. Some of your awkward moments are going to be funny and might even make other people laugh.
Finding the charm in your awkwardness will not only allow you to let loose a bit, but your personality will shine more and you’ll be more confident in yourself – which reduces the amount of bad awkward moments you’ll have. [Read: Why guys like shy girls and find them incredibly attractive]
#15 Practice makes perfect. You can’t stop being awkward overnight. It’s a personality trait of yours and it might just take some time to rework your brain to hide those awkward tendencies. So you need to practice, practice, practice.
That means you have to get out of the house more, attend more social functions, and practice these tips as often as you can until you feel 100% confident when you walk into a room of people you don’t know. [Read: How to care less – Powerful ways to stop giving a damn what people think]
Being awkward isn’t the worst thing in the world – it’s actually kind of charming! However, if you want to be less awkward and more confident and fun, this guide will help get you there.
