How to accept your awkwardness
The journey to overcoming the cringeworthy moments in life
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LIFESTYLE Awkward
Awkward moments: When you think someone is waving at you but they are really greeting the person behind you. Walking down the street and doing the "you go this way, I'll go that way" tango. Forgetting a colleague's name just minutes after being introduced. Welcome to your life.
While some of these uncomfortable incidents might send a shudder down your spine, momentary social stressors are an ordinary part of the human experience. While there is no way to avoid them, there are ways to accept the awkwardness. Relish your cringeworthy moments with these simple tips:
1. Learn to laugh at yourself: Life gets a lot easier when you can find fun in your flaws. And when you learn to be comfortable even when it's not easy, others will follow suit.
2. Throw yourself into potentially awkward situations: A lot of the time, social anxieties can be a slippery slope. The more you shield yourself from the public, the worse these awkward moments will feel.
3. Take notes from past experiences: If you find yourself getting into the same awkward scenarios over and over, instead of punishing yourself, try to learn from them. What did you do that didn't work out the way you wanted? How could you approach things differently next time?
Embrace the awkwardness! You're strong enough to take it.
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