Everyone knows the struggle of meeting for the first time and having nothing to say. Or the feeling of being so uncomfortable in a situation and simply feeling like it’s your own fault. Let me be honest with you, it might be your fault. But there is a solution! And as my sister always says, “it’s only awkward if you make it awkward.” Here are 5 ways to prevent awkward situations.

1. Have good questions to spark conversation

With good questions, come interesting answers. You can learn a lot about a person by what questions you ask. See this person as a complete stranger that you know nothing about, whom you would like to get to know. Simply ask a question like, “how long would you last in the zombie apocalypse, and why?” You definitely will be surprised with where that conversation takes you. Having good questions will keep you from situations when there is complete silence between you and someone else. They are a neat way to keep the conversation flowing and going! Keep them talking; people love talking about themselves.

2. Look the person in the eyes

Surprisingly, looking someone in the eyes when they speak can help you both feel more confident while speaking. You never want to be the person who looks at everything but the person you are talking to in a conversation. This will make the other person feel so uncomfortable and unsure if you are even talking and listening to them or not. Also, never look at someone’s forehead when talking to them. They will immediately feel insecure and feel like there is something on it. Just making good eye contact will show the other person respect, and also let them know that you care about what they have to say; even if you couldn’t care less.

3. Complements

How can complements help with your ability to communicate? Well, they show confidence in what you think looks good, and it will impact how others view you as a person. When you tell someone that you like their hair, or their outfit, or their face, it shows that you aren’t afraid to tell someone what you like about them. To these people, they will think of you as very kind and sweet. Usually when someone compliments another person’s outfit, the conversation will grow. It may turn up into them telling a long story about where they got the outfit and what not. It’s also a great way to better someone’s day, and who wouldn’t want to do that?

4. Be Confident

If you aren’t confident in yourself, what makes you think you could be confident in having conversions? You must show off your personality. This can be hard,because many people are naturally awkward. However, by showing your true colors, you become more likable. Do not worry about what others think about you, and don’t automatically assume they won’t like you. In their mind, they are probably worried about the same things. So why not show who you are so they feel comfortable showing themselves as well?  Keep your head up and act like you are important, because you are.

5. Embrace the Awkward

Sometimes, there will be moments when you realize that this moment is going to be uncomfortable no matter what you do, and it may not be your fault. Often times, a lot of people are just weird. They make things so much more uncomfortable for everyone. But how can you embrace the awkward? Simply accept that this moment will not be fun. You must now take matters into your own hands and try everything you can do to help out the moment. If this fails, you don’t lose or gain anything. Or maybe one day, you can bond over the fact of how weird you two were when you first met.

Don’t let the down right uncomfortable moments get to you. Embrace who you are as a person. Not everyone will like you or have the reaction that you want, and that is alright. You are you and that is enough.