Awkward Silences Are Still Awkward (And We’re All Still Human)
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Key Takeaways
- Awkward silences are common in today’s world, often stemming from social exhaustion and overwhelming negativity.
- Connection is crucial for mental health, so avoiding conversations can worsen feelings of loneliness and anxiety.
- The article suggests engaging conversation starters, like sharing recent learnings or hobbies, to break the silence.
- Games like ‘Would You Rather’ and ’20 Questions’ help make small talk more engaging and enjoyable.
- For those struggling to connect, seeking mental health support can provide necessary guidance and reassurance.
In a world where people can argue about literally anything, I think we can all agree on one thing:
awkward silences are… painfully awkward.
And honestly? In 2026, they’re happening more than ever.
Not because we have nothing to say — but because we’re exhausted.
A lot of us spend all day communicating through screens: texts, DMs, Zoom meetings, voice notes, Slack, Teams, FaceTime… you name it. Then we finally connect with someone we care about and our brains go completely blank.
Or worse — the conversation slides into that familiar doom spiral:
- “Did you see what happened…”
- “Everything is so messed up…”
- “What is this world coming to?”
And then… silence.
Why This Matters (More Than People Think)
Connection isn’t just “nice.” It’s protective.
When we stay connected — even in small ways — we reduce the mental health risks that come with isolation. Loneliness can make anxiety worse. It can make depression heavier. It can make people feel like they’re falling behind in life, relationships, and confidence.
So instead of avoiding socializing altogether, the real question is:
How do we keep conversations from turning into awkward silence, negativity, or total boredom?
Let’s make it easy.
Conversation Starters That Don’t Feel Like a Job Interview
Try These (Even If You’re Not “A Talker”)
1. What’s something you’ve learned about yourself recently?
Not in a deep, dramatic way. Even something small counts.
2. What’s something you’re looking forward to this week?
Yes, even if it’s “getting coffee” or “going to bed early.”
3. What’s a hobby you miss?
Or one you’ve always wanted to try but haven’t.
4. What’s the last thing that made you laugh?
Bonus points if you can send it.
5. What’s something you’re proud of right now?
This one can feel weird — which is exactly why it’s good.
Low-Effort Ways to Connect That Actually Work
Some days, talking feels like too much. That’s okay. Here are ways to connect without forcing “deep conversation.”
- Exchange funny videos and watch each other’s reactions
- Share a podcast episode and compare thoughts
- Do a mini “show and tell” (an object, a photo, a weird purchase, a sentimental thing)
- Talk about a future plan (a concert, a restaurant, a weekend trip, a dream vacation)
- Pick a topic like: “Best movie of all time,” “Most overrated food,” “Best comfort show,” etc.
Games for People Who Hate Small Talk
If you want to skip the “So… how’s work?” loop, games are your best friend.
Easy Conversation Games
- Would You Rather
- 2 Truths and a Lie
- 20 Questions
- 6-Word Stories
- Try talking only in questions (it’s chaotic in a good way)
Slightly More Creative Games
- Song Clash: play a short clip and guess the song
- Describe a scene: the other person picks a song that matches
- Random word generator story: pick 3 random words and build a ridiculous story together
A Classic Question That Always Works
If you want one question that almost always leads to a real conversation, try this:
You can have 10 people at your dinner table — alive or deceased. Who’s there and why?
It sounds simple. It’s not. And people get very into it.
If You’re Still Struggling, You’re Not Broken
If connecting feels harder than it “should,” there may be more going on under the surface.
A lot of people are dealing with:
- anxiety
- depression
- social burnout
- trauma responses
- grief
- low self-esteem
- or just feeling emotionally numb
And those things can make even basic conversations feel impossible.
If this is hitting close to home, we’re here.
Bright Spot Counseling offers mental health services online, so you can get support from home — without adding more stress to your schedule.
You don’t have to do this alone.
In an age where agreement is rare, I think I can safely say that there is one thing we can all agree on: awkward silences are, well…awkward. After being quarantined for six months and not having any novel experiences, it’s hard to find new things to talk about, particularly if you are trying to avoid politics. A lot of my clients were in the process of dating before COVID hit, and many of them are finding online-dating (quite literally) to be draining and lacking substance. Some of my clients who were highly social before quarantine have said that they have become more withdrawn because their online conversation wells have run dry or have become too negative. Right now it’s very easy to complain and discuss topics that suck you into a wind tunnel of depressing conversation. The conversation usually leads to both sides shaking their heads and uttering something along the lines of “what is this world coming to?”…and then, SILENCE.
Staying connected has been shown to stave off some serious mental health risks that come with being isolated. So instead of avoiding conversation and socializing all together, how do we avoid the awkward silence? Here are a couple of ideas/topics/games that may help your online interactions from being hijacked by negativity, boredom, and discomfort.
- What have you learned about yourself during quarantine?
- Have you tried any new hobbies or reconnected with old ones?
- What are you looking forward to?
- Exchange funny youtube videos with each other, watch the other person’s reaction
- Discuss podcasts – see our blog on the power of podcasts here!
- Show off your home projects and talk about goals for future projects
- Interested in music? Play songclash with your friends, a game where you guess the song based upon a short clip of the song or a variety of clues
- Join a virtual book club
- What restaurants are you looking forward to going to after this pandemic ends? Review menus together and plan a night out with your friends
- You can have 10 people, alive or deceased at your dinner table. Who do you choose and why? (This one is surprisingly difficult to narrow down!)
- Exchange jokes! Do some research and find some funny stuff!
- What’s something you’ve always wanted to try but haven’t? What’s keeping you from trying it?
- Show and tell – show your conversation partner an object and describe what it means to you.
- Plan a dream vacation!
- You can have 10 people, alive or deceased at your dinner table. Who do you choose and why? (This one is surprisingly difficult to narrow down!)
- Learn a dance together!
- Watch a youtube cooking tutorial and cook together while facetime each other.
- Take online personality quizzes and share your results with each other.
- Categorize your favorite films (“best comedy of all time”, “best drama”, etc) and have your conversation partner watch it and report back their thoughts.
- Tell the other person about the last thing that made you laugh
- Find the most ridiculous true news story you can find- then use the onion and find an equally crazy story. Read both and have the other party guess which one is real!
- Describe a scene. What’s happening, who is there? What are they feeling? After you describe the scene, the other person has to think of a song that fits the scenario.
- Use the random word generator and write a story together, that incorporates the three random words.
- What’s something you’ve always wanted to try but haven’t? What’s keeping you from trying it?
- Show and tell – show your conversation partner an object and describe what it means to you
- What is something about your living space you didn’t notice or appreciate before quarantine?
GAMES
- Play Jeopardy!
- Play “Would you rather”, learn something new about your friends and yourself!
- Develop 6 word stories
- Play 2 truths and a lie and see if you can find out what the lie is!
- Play 20 questions!
- Play the 6 degrees of separation or a variation of the game!
Play the whisper challenge! - Try to have a conversation ONLY using questions.
- Play the Objection game!
- Play Creating the Circle!
- Play “oh yeah!”
If you find yourself still struggling to authentically engage with others during this time, reach out to us and we can help you navigate some of these challenges. You don’t have to do this alone!
