So, I just recently got transferred to a different area in the company I’m doing my internship, the guy that’s supervising me is cool, he’s always joking around most of the time and I do my best to joke along, but sometimes I just stay quiet and since I’m not saying anything he keeps quiet too but as soon as another employee approaches him he starts joking again, and idk why but I feel like I’m making him feel awkward, there are a few employees sitting nearby and they’re quiet too so it kinda makes me feel better but still.
and yesterday I had lunch with a “friend” (employee from my former area I’ve been speaking the most at the time) and during lunch I really struggled to start conversations so I remained quiet and she knew it because we would be eating lunch and she’d say “so…yup” as if trying to make me talk but I didn’t know what to say!!
My therapist said it’s completely fine to be quiet and that I shouldn’t bother talking if I didn’t have anything to say but I don’t want to be quiet all time 🙁
1 comment
I don’t want to oppose your therapist but chatting and joking around is like a big part of office life routine.
Of course, don’t push yourself if there’s nothing to say, but: you can just say whatever comes to mind and when it does, which is the opposite of waiting and thinking for the perfect moment to strike a comment.
Chat with the other quiet people around (about shows, sports, sleep depravation and boredom) anything works! Complaining out loud too (you don’t complain about them or the supervisors!).
And remember: if you feel awkward is probably because ypu want to talk too, nobody really enjoys sitting next to someone else in silence! I bet the funny supervipr you mention just doesn’t want to overstep if he sees you all silent at the risk of coming off as annoying.
Good thing is that you don’t havd to change overnight because it would be weird, so baby steps. 😉