It's Only Awkward For You

By Camille

As someone who is naturally awkward, I have too many moments where I am uncomfortable. However, nothing makes me more uncomfortable than seeing people my age. This might seem a bit odd, considering that I have seen people my age every day for most of my life. But after spending 1 ½ years in isolation, I have become accustomed to only seeing the people in my house. Because of this, I am unable to find comfortability around people my age, I can only look on longingly. 

For most of my life, I have struggled with making friends. This is due to multiple factors: introversion, socially awkwardness, lack of shared interests, and essentially, making friends was not an easy task. But I managed because I had to spend a good chunk of my time seeing the same people, and friendships were inevitable. 

The entirety of my senior year was spent online, staring at Zoom profile pictures because nobody wanted to turn their camera on. Before quarantine, I would have hated to spend my last year of high school online, but once I realized how comfortable I was, there was no turning back. Within a couple of months into quarantine, I had stopped talking to most of my friends. I began to feel uneasy even talking to them because I had lost contact with the outside world. 

During quarantine, I rarely left the house, but sometimes I found the motivation to walk outside and get exercise. When I would go outside, I would have my headphones on in hopes that nobody talks to me. In the dreadful events that I saw kids my age, I would instantly become antsy, eager to put as much distance between us as possible. My body would tense up and I would tilt my head downward, in hopes that they did not pay me any mind. 

When it eventually became time for senior clearance and I had to go back to the school, I had a painful realization -I felt awkward around everyone. As I observed those around me, I also realized that I had minimal commonalities with them. I would be perfectly fine with my desire not to talk to them, however, I know that communication is a necessity, especially in the workforce. 

Since this is an issue that I actively combat every day, I am unable to provide evidence that worked for me. I can, however, share newly found advice I plan on using that could potentially help me overcome this uneasiness around kids my age. 
Ways that we can stop these awkward moments include:

• Find friends in a setting where you’ll have things in common. For example, if you love watching movies, try going out to movie theaters more.
  
• Practice socializing in a mirror. This may sound ridiculous, but at this point, I’m ready to pull out all stops necessary. 
  
• Don’t compare yourself to others. A lot of people may feel awkward around people their age due to feeling inferior in comparison to them. 
  
• Try befriending an extrovert and observe their behavior.
  
• And lastly, remember to take time to charge your social battery. Though I found this on no website, I find it essential to not constantly force yourself to socialize asit can lead to extreme burnout. 
  

When the quarantine first began, it was an amazing time for introverts or anyone who does not like socializing. There was no need to put ourselves into situations where we would be forced to socialize. However, as the world slowly opens back up and we find communication necessary, a lot of people have found themselves feeling awkward around others. I wrote this article to tell you that you are not alone, and I encourage you to take time to get used to being around people again.