Mindfulness Pocketbook: Little Exercises for a Calmer Life

Making Small Talk

‘I'm not good at small talk. I'll hide in a cupboard to avoid chitty chat.’ – Caitlin Moran

Do you dread meeting people for the first time, wondering what you're going to say? Have you ever lingered in your car, lurked in the loo or simply pretended you haven't seen an acquaintance just to avoid making small talk?

Small talk doesn't come easily to all of us. Often, the fear of coming across as fake, dull or stupid makes it difficult to initiate small talk, let alone maintain a conversation.

Maybe you think small talk is pointless and claim to only be interested in ‘real’ conversation. But then how do you get to the point ...