How to Deal with Your Awkwardness
Anna Haugstad
If you are anything like me, being awkward didn't end after middle school, it unfortunately has remained throughout life. Interacting with people you hardly know makes life very interesting and sometimes frustrating. Getting a new outlook on life, and realizing that embracing your awkwardness and going with the flow can make any situation better.
I have outlined a few suggestions on how to deal with those all too common everyday situations.
Learn to fake confidence in front of a group
Situation: You are standing up in front of the class and suddenly you're starting to stutter and stumble over your words.
Not only will people think that you have no idea what you are talking about they will also have problems understanding you. The best thing to do in this situation is learn to fake confidence. Learn to speak through your stuttering and develop a good stance in front of the group. Faking confidence is an easy and effective way to make people think that you might know what you are talking about.
Dealing with spills on your shirt and/or spices in your teeth
Situation: Spending all day with a big black spice in your teeth and spilled food on your shirt is very humiliating. Smiling at all of your professors in class and then at the President of the University doesn't help the situation.
It is best to avoid situations like these; always be sure to check with a friend or a mirror to make sure that you don't have anything in your teeth before setting out onto the world. If it is unavoidable just remove the speck and go on with your life. This fortunately, happens to everyone so don't feel bad about it.
You've really embarrassed yourself...now what?
Situation: At your favorite restaurant and you have just spilled the contents of your raspberry lemonade all over your lap. On your way out your arm flails and knocks the empty glass onto the floor. Finally, when you are ready to leave you trip up the stairs leading to the exit.
Unfortunately, for most people restaurants are the worst place to reveal your awkwardness. Asking your friend to walk in front of you is a good idea so that people won't think you have wet yourself. Avoiding the restaurant for a while may help your ego a little but going there again and hoping that the wait staff will be use to your little foibles is probably the best idea.
Making it through the day with wardrobe problems
Situation: For the most awkward, picking out clothes everyday is a major ordeal. You have just returned from a very important meeting and you have realized that your shirt came untucked, your shoes do not match, and you have a huge whole in your skirt.
Avoiding wardrobe problems is very important when you are trying to become less awkward. Here are a few simple things that you can do to decide your outfit for the day.
- Make sure that your belt has the extra loop so it doesn't stick straight out sometimes.
- Make sure that you don't reveal your white socks with your black shoes and brown belt.
- Try not to let your underwear line show. Not only are underwear lines terribly embarrassing, people will also get to know your favorite brand and color.
- Walking around with your backpack open is a great way to look stupid and potentially loose all of your school items. Before you leave, make sure before you leave that your backpack is zipped up tight.
- At least once in your lifetime you may find that you have your shirt on backwards. This stinks because you can't exactly turn it around in public. You may also find a stain as made it onto the "front" of your backwards shirt. Learn to live with whatever life throws at you. Welcome to the club, you are among the most awkward now.
Develop a plan when speaking with the opposite sex
Situation: You've finally been able to speak with the boy you like and you notice that you have been answering questions wrong.
Sometimes you may find yourself giving the wrong answers to questions. For example: boy asks, "So...do you like this class?", awkward answer, "I'm a Mass Comm Major." The best thing to do in this situation is to catch yourself before you move on. State the right answer to the question and if you get really nervous just ask him a question therefore getting the attention off yourself.
Final Advice
Your long day of awkwardness is over. You have just arrived to your dorm room and all of your friends are there. Now is the time to have fun with your bad day. You and your friends should make a list of all of the awkward things that you have done that day. Review the list with your friends out loud and then just laugh about it!! Try not to take yourself so seriously and just give into those little embarrassments. Being awkward isn't easy but fortunately your friends don't care how awkward you. Learn to just be yourself.
Mantra: It's okay to be awkward because there are many people just as awkward as me.
Links for the most awkward:
Learn how to be more confident
Learn how to dress
Learn dining etiquette
Getting some really awesome friends that you can share your awkwardness with is the best way to make the most horrible day better.
Anna Haugstad © 2004 Last Modified: Oct 2004
E-Mail for information: Anna Haugstad