Awkward Silence - A Solution - Stardoll

Welcome back ♥

If we’re being honest, we’ve all been there. We’ve all been sitting in a room with silence hanging in the air while looking at another person, or on the other end of a phone, tapping our nails on the screen because there’s simply nothing to say. For those moments, when small talk seems fitting or necessary, I’ve put together a list of dos and don'ts so that you don’t have be silent. Without any further ado, here are some ideas on how to make those dreadful scenarios slightly less awkward!

Never point out the situation.

Saying something like, ‘So…’ or ‘This is awkward...’ brings the focus straight onto the issue. Even if the person or people you’re trying to communicate with didn’t yet notice the awkward silence, you would be bringing it to their attention. It is also a very difficult prompt to reply to, meaning there is little scope for conversation to continue.

The weather plays a role in everybody’s life.

Whether over text or in real life, saying ‘I can’t cope with all this heat!’ or ‘Has it been stormy where you live too?’ usually demands a reaction from the others involved in the conversation.

3. Compliments make a world of difference.

These are really easy to give, whether on Stardoll, a different website or app, or in person. ‘I like your shirt, where did you get it?’ or ‘You looked so pretty in your recent post!’ could go a long way when trying to converse with someone.

4. The current situation in the world isn’t exactly hard to comment on.

The dreaded pandemic that we’re all so tired of hearing about? Use it to your advantage when trying to make conversation with someone. Asking ‘Do you think there’s going to be another lockdown?’ or ‘How’s the pandemic situation where you live?’ can open up a lot of discussions. I understand that there may be people who feel anxious or traumatized due to an experience when talking about this topic, in which case you are absolutely not obliged to use this tactic. However, some people may even feel their worries slowly melt when sharing their thoughts about this situation with someone else, so if you feel like bringing it up, do it!

5. Funny stories and funny memes are your best friends.

It’s always good to keep a few things you find funny on hand, whether a meme or a story someone told you. Keep the mood light-hearted. If it’s difficult to incite a reaction from the other person, maybe ask questions here and there, such as ‘Has that ever happened to you?’ or ‘Did you know that fact?’ This usually encourages some kind of response.

There are many reasons why someone may not want to or be able to talk or keep a conversation, such as mental or physical illness, a difficult situation, or stress or anxiety. This article was written for situations when you know the other person does not have any specific problem with talking to you first, but it feels like there’s nothing to be said. We should normalize asking if a person isn’t feeling particularly talkative, asking how they are and asking if their mood is good enough to converse. It’s never okay to show someone hostility or unkindness without reason, as you don’t know what they may be going through.

Take care,

~Jaya x