I is for Introvert

Why introverts get tongue-tied in small talk and 3 strategies to overcome it

Introverts think before speaking.

That's how they process information. They hear it, digest it, and then put their reply together in their head sounding it out to ensure it's coherent, before saying it out loud to the world.

Small talk however demands a quick back and forth.

There's no time for the internal processing that introverts need to feel comfortable. Instead, they feel rushed to speak before they are ready. They open their mouth and release their half-processed thoughts into the open only to find they sound like the words of a rambling drunk.

Try these strategies to avoid sounding like this:

1. Breathe before speaking Take a deep breath to gather your thoughts, The oxygen you take in steadies the voice, making you sound calm when you open your mouth.

2. Talk in short sentences Your brain is full of ideas but allow your mouth to deliver one thought per sentence. Then breathe, gather your thoughts again before the next short sentence.

3. Deflect If you're feeling flustered, get into the habit of deflecting the question with another question. Say: "Give me a second to think about hat - what does everyone else think?" and pass it on.