I know, I know, you are probably thinking: how could you possibly narrow down the number of life’s awkward moments to a mere four! I will admit that it was not easy, but I think I was able to pick the four most common awkward moments that we all must face at some point. I don’t care how naturally graceful you may be, or if you have the social skills of someone who has kissed the Blarney Stone, you’re going to have to deal with awkward moments. Alright, are you ready to jump in?

The Trip and Fall

This one is a true classic. I remember running up a crowded staircase during college and completely tripping over my own feet in the rush. I ended up sprawled on the stairs, bumping into people on my way down. I’m sure my face was a brilliant red color. But what did I do? I laughed at myself, red face and all. I’m not sure if others around me laughed too, but I hope they did, since that would have lessened my embarrassment. After I got up, one girl came over and said, “I’m so sorry, I just have to give you a hug.” And she did. Which made me feel foolish, but all the more entertained by the experience. So yes, we all trip and fall. If you get truly injured, I’m sorry! But if you get a few bruises, jump up, announce to the crowd, “I’m good”, and laugh it off. Tripping and falling isn’t all that uncommon, so get used to it and take in “stride”.

The Awkward Silence

Don’t you just hate it when you are in a big group and everyone is joking and laughing away, when suddenly it all dies down. Everyone suddenly looks around at everyone else and the awkwardness is almost palpable. Now, in this situation, there are two good ways to embrace it. The first option is to make a comment on the awkwardness of the awkward silence. This is an old-school approach, and will usually work since it can lead to conversations about what other people do in awkward silence situations. The second option is to shout out something random. Many movies have made such expressions as, “Big Gulps, huh?” and “. . . and then I found 20 bucks!” great ice breakers for those awkward silences. I suppose if you are a really socially savvy person, then you won’t need either of these options and will be able to smoothly come up with a way to change the subject naturally. To these people, us awkward ones say, “We are jealous of you, but thanks for keeping the conversation going!” Ok, so I lied, as I was writing this, I came up with a fourth way of saving the conversation. Always have a crazy anecdote stored in your brain that you can talk about. It could be a radical opinion on the latest political happenings (level: risky!) or it could be a funny news story you read about a man who was sued for stealing his neighbor’s cat (this is just an example, although I’m sure somewhere in the world it has happened.) Before you go to any social activity, do a quick read up on the news sites and find something interesting you can throw out if the need arises.

Since tripping and awkward silences occur to must of us on a weekly, if not daily, basis, then I’m sure you’ve had a lot of practice embracing your awkward moments. In the second part of this article, we’ll talk about the last two awkward moments that all of us are going to have to face at some point. While not quite as common as the previous two, the following awkward moments are inevitable events in everyone’s lives:

Talking to Yourself Out Loud

I certainly hope I’m not the only one that this has happened to, which would make this not only an awkward moment when it actually happens, but awkward for you reading this article! But no worries, I’m an expert at handling the awkward moments (at least that’s what I tell myself!). Alright, I know I’m really not the only one who might accidentally start talking to myself out loud. Especially when I’m on a walk or by myself at the grocery store. I start reflecting on my day and might remember some situation that I hadn’t handled as well as I had hoped. Soon I’ll find myself replaying the situation in my head, this time thinking about what I should have said. Before I know it, a few words of my powerful and self-assured imaginary response have slipped out of my mouth. I find the best way to deal with this awkwardness is to first look around and notice if anyone saw you. If not, you’re in the clear! But if the old lady up the aisle is giving you a strange look, act completely normal. Give her a big smile and say, “Hi, how are you?” Your sweetness will immediately distract her from the fact that you were just talking to yourself. Or not. Either way, you’ll feel better having acknowledged the existence of your self-talk witnesses.

The First Kiss

The first kiss with anyone new is awkward. And especially so if it is your first kiss with anyone at all. For most people this occurs in their teenage years. For others they might not think about dating until they reach their 20s. This is becoming more and more of a trend in society today, but I digress. The first kiss, whether the first one you’ve ever had or just the first one with someone new, can be a painfully awkward moment. Do you go right or left? Where do you put your hands? How long does it last? Do you kiss again afterwards? If you are an expert kisser, you will probably know how to quickly take control of the kiss to make it un-awkward and natural. But for those with lesser experience, you may find yourself completely lost. First, you should be aware that a first kiss usually isn’t all that great. I mean, most inexperienced kissers will go straight for the lip on lip form, not realizing you are actually supposed to kiss in “staggered” style. We won’t go into all that, I’m sure you can find a YouTube tutorial if you really want to get into the physics of it all. What we want to deal with is how you embrace the awkwardness of the first kiss. The number one way to do this is by getting a big smile on your face and saying “you know, I think we should keep practicing until we get this right.” Thus, you have an excuse to give it another go as well as improve your kissing skills. On your first kiss, even if it’s horrible, you should always give it a few more chances if you are really liking the person. Be open to the idea that it might take some time for you two to get comfortable enough around each other to actually enjoy the kissing act. If not, then feel free to let the awkwardness hang there, it may be a great way to dissuade your date from pursuing you beyond this date.

You are now armed and ready to handle any awkward situation! Well. . . almost! With one more quote, you will be ready. As my sister said to me once: “Life’s just one giant pool of awkwardness. You’ve gotta just dive right in.”

About the Author

Tiffani Azani is a freelance writer for MyCollegesandCareers.com. My Colleges and Careers provides tools for students to help them find online schools and degree programs to help them jump-start their career.