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THE UNWANTED SILENCE

X SANDRA SUE

15 April 2022

The Unwanted Silence look towards a new world, where we provide a renewed hope. We chat with our audiences, to be their listening ear and provide support and solutions for their individual struggles through social awkwardness.

TUS:

Hi Sandra Sue. Thanks for chatting with us! How are you today?

SS:

Hi! I am doing well.

TUS:

Could you tell us a bit about your hobby during your free time?

SS:

Apart from meeting up with friends, I usually like to listen to podcasts and watch Netflix shows/movies to unwind.

TUS:

How has covid 19, or the past two years of restriction and quarantine impacted your relationship with your friends?

SS:

I feel that ever since I graduated from poly, most of my friends are busy working so it is harder to find time to meet up, there is less of a physical connection, making it a little harder be as close as before.

TUS:

What are some situations that make you uncomfortable when you meet your friends?

SS:

There is an initial awkwardness especially if I am meeting the person for the first time in a long time, however, I will usually warm up to the friend.

*Not sure how to put this into words but will definitely warm up by the 1st hour of the meeting*

TUS:

What have you changed in your life to make things less awkward during social gatherings? Has it been effective in making things more comfortable for you?

SS:

I feel like previously I overthink a lot about how the day would go but these days, I try to go with the flow and not think

too much

TUS:

Have you thought that the root cause of awkwardness with your friends was overthinking?

SS:

Yes definitely

TUS:
Social awkwardness is a common trait among introverts. The root cause is often due to one’s overthinking. Leads up to unnecessary tension during a social gathering.

Instead, you can try these:

Prepare some conversations topics ahead of time to avoid awkward silence.
Accept silent moments, accept conversations ending and initiate new conversations of interest.
Be an active listener. If you struggle to initiate conversation, you can start off by listening attentively to the conversations, and join in wherever relatable.
Acknowledge your discomfort. Often, your friends are unaware of your awkwardness, clarify with them any potential doubts and overthinking thoughts to avoid a build-up of discomfort.

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