5.05.2016

For those awkward moments...


I have this awful habit.
If someone says something and I don't quite hear or understand, I usually laugh, smile, and agree.

My loved ones know me well enough to occasionally call me out and say 'you have no idea what I just said'.

Unfortunately,  my awkward 'haha I have no idea what you said uh huh' response happens more often with acquaintances or strangers.


I just had one of these awkward moments this afternoon.
I didn't hear the question and responded with 'oh, yeah'. Then she seemed to be standing there waiting for me.
"Are you ready?" She finally asked.
"No, I think I'm going to stay a bit longer," I replied.
"Oh," She looked confused. "I asked if you wanted me to wait for you, and you said yes."
"Oh," I responded (thinking stupid me and my awkward yes), "I must have misheard you."

It was not a big deal, and I'm sure she has forgotten about it. But I can't stop thinking about it!

Do you ever have those awkward moments that you just can't let go? You keep replaying them in your mind and cringing? It becomes worse and more exaggerated every time?

I believe that awkwardness is born of anxiety. When we feel awkward, we're worrying about how we are seen by someone else. I think I dwell on these interactions not because I care a ton what people think of me, but how I made them feel. I hate thinking that I might have made someone feel uncomfortable.

I want to change my reaction to these awkward moments. I want to remember to:

  • Recognize the anxiety. Realize there's nothing I can change about that moment.
  • It's not that big of a deal. Take a page out of Elsa's book and let it go. The other person has probably completely forgotten it happened.
  • Own the fact that I'm a dork. I say stupid things. I'm not perfect. Laugh it off. 
  • Rather than reliving the moment on repeat, fill my mind with positive thoughts by listening to some soul-nourishing, feel good music.
  • Recognize that His grace is sufficient for me (2 Corinthians 2:9). Even when I'm awkward, even when I feel ashamed of my social faux pas, God has still given me grace to see past all my shortcomings. He loves me even when I'm a dork. 
  • This seems like a weird one for this list, but be less awkward in the first place! Own when I don't hear something and ask them to repeat it. It's not that hard and avoids a lot of confusion! Friends, will you hold me accountable to that?


Do you know this pain of replaying your agonizing moments? How do you let them go? Let me know in the comments below. Thanks for stopping by!


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5 comments:

  1. Thank you for this as this happens to me all of the time. Or I agonize over something I wrote and hit publish. I need to keep telling myselft all of the above.

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  2. That good old repeat gets me every time! Around and around and around in my head. Great tips on how to stop the madness!

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  3. Ha, oh yes, this totally happens to me! I'm guilty of playing it over and over in my head, I just have to tell my self it's OK, now you know what NOT to do ;)

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  4. Haha, I love this! Everyone needs a good awkward moment every so often!

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