Conversing with others can be nerve-racking – especially if you’re someone that typically keeps to themselves. However, there are a few psychological hacks that can make your daily interactions a whole lot easier. After reading about these, you’ll be a confident Chatty Cathy in no time!
1. Avoid getting called on
You’re in class and the prof asks a question…dead silence. After a few moments of awkwardness, the prof begins picking on people. You sink lower and lower in your seat in hopes of not catching their eye. Instead of doing this, try looking at the person next to you as soon as the prof makes eye contact with you – this will divert their attention to someone else.
2. Win an argument
You’re in the middle of a heated argument and can’t seem to come to a consensus. You and the other person are throwing words at each other and are getting absolutely nowhere. Instead of continuing to have pointless discourse, try finding something you agree on. This not only helps to ease the situation, but it also gives you a chance to push your point further.
3. Diffuse the situation
If you’ve done something to annoy someone, they may be irritated and not want to talk to you. In order to get past this, ask them a question that has nothing to do with the situation. For example, you could ask them what their favourite dog breed is. Chances are, they will be so focused on answering the question that they’ll completely forget about the situation.
4. Don’t take excuses
Do you know someone who has an excuse for everything? Say you confront them about ignoring your text and they begin blabbering on while giving you millions of excuses as to why they did. Instead of responding to their excuses, show little interest in what they are saying. Therefore, they will have nothing to go off of and lose momentum in their words.
5. Start with the personal
If you encounter someone who has just experienced a traumatic experience, it may be difficult for them to talk about what happened. Instead of starting with hard-hitting questions, ask them for personal information (phone number, address, birthday, etc). This will take them out of their emotional state and therefore, they will be able to talk about the experience more easily.
6. Change up your wording
If you’re having a conversation with someone and seek to get something out of it, try rewording what you would usually say. For example, if you’re telling your friend about a recent breakup, instead of apologizing for your emotions, thank them for being understanding. This way, the situation becomes more positive and your friend knows what you want them to do.
Next time you’re in a tough communication spot, try out these suggestions. Let these hacks come to your rescue!