Break the Ice

For awkward social interactions

Ah, it’s getting about that time of year again, the time where friends and family from all over gather for the holidays. But when that time comes, you might find yourself amidst people you haven’t seen in ages; so you sit/stand amongst them and have no idea what to say, normally the same for them as well. So what can you do to try and reconnect with your guests come these social gatherings?

Try small talk. Sure it mostly leads to dull, blank moments where no says anything, but you never know this time it could be different. Plus, if you approach and start the conversation, it might break the ice, and help your guests feel more welcome and able to talk. Start with a hello, like a ‘Hi, how ya been?’. Ask them what the weather is like where they live, or ask them about sports or any other thing you think they might find interesting. However, you should never mention politics, for fear of getting dragged into a long, boring, and/or aggressive debate that could potentially lead to angry disputes or people leaving. But hey, it could be different for you. But continuing back to the main point though, something simple like that could be a great conversation starter that could help you connect more with your guests. “I find that a simple joke leads to long lasting, plentiful conversations.”, quotes Josh Rucker on the subject.

Or perhaps you could try a game. Games are great ways to get to people to socialize and talk to each other. Video games like ‘Mario Kart’ or ‘Just Dance’ are fantastic examples of games that can make people laugh and want to join in on the fun. And if you don’t own a video game, you can go old-fashioned and play a game, like ‘Charades’, or ’20 questions’. These are few of many ideas for games that you could do at gatherings.

You might even watch TV or something. Just turn on the tele and watch a show or Thanksgiving day football, a guest might come over and say, ‘oh hey, I love that show’ and you could start talking about your favorite characters, or who’s going to win the game.

Food, odd as it may sound, gets a lot of people talking. They like to talk about how they can’t wait for food, or how they food is great, how it’s terrible, to how they ate too much. Take advantage of their commentary and use it to start a basic conversation.

 

 

Even though Social events may seem like a troublesome and awkward time to socialize, but with these few tips and tricks, you should be able to ‘break the ice’.  All you have to take is a small leap of faith.

 

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