How to Deal With Embarrassment
Evaluate the situation., Apologize if necessary., Forgive yourself and stop beating yourself up., Distract yourself and others.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Evaluate the situation.
How you handle an embarrassing situation depends on what has happened to embarrass you.
For example, if you did something wrong, like made an inappropriate comment to a friend, you may feel embarrassed because you should not have said what you did.
But if you feel embarrassed because you did something by accident, like tripping and falling in front of a large group of people, that is a different situation.
Each situation requires a slightly different approach to overcome the feelings of embarrassment., If you did something wrong, you will need to apologize for your mistake.
Having to apologize might make you feel a bit more embarrassed, but it is necessary to deal with the original embarrassment and move forward.
Make sure that your apology is sincere and direct.Try saying something like, “I am sorry that I did/said that.
I didn’t mean it.
I will try to be more thoughtful in the future.” , After you have apologized (if it was necessary), you need to forgive yourself for what you did or said.
Forgiving yourself is an important step in dealing with embarrassment because it will help you to stop beating yourself up.
By forgiving yourself, you are sending yourself the message that you made an honest mistake and it is nothing to dwell on.Try telling yourself something like, “I forgive myself for what I did.
I am only human and I am bound to make mistakes sometimes.” , While you don’t want to ignore the embarrassing thing that you did or said, after you have evaluated it and dealt with the situation you should move on.
You can help yourself and other move past the embarrassing thing by changing the subject or inviting them to do something else.For example, after you have apologized and forgiven yourself for saying something inappropriate to a friend, ask them if they watched the news last night.
Or, pay them a compliment.
Say something like, “Hey, I love your outfit.
Where did you get it?” -
Step 2: Apologize if necessary.
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Step 3: Forgive yourself and stop beating yourself up.
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Step 4: Distract yourself and others.
Detailed Guide
How you handle an embarrassing situation depends on what has happened to embarrass you.
For example, if you did something wrong, like made an inappropriate comment to a friend, you may feel embarrassed because you should not have said what you did.
But if you feel embarrassed because you did something by accident, like tripping and falling in front of a large group of people, that is a different situation.
Each situation requires a slightly different approach to overcome the feelings of embarrassment., If you did something wrong, you will need to apologize for your mistake.
Having to apologize might make you feel a bit more embarrassed, but it is necessary to deal with the original embarrassment and move forward.
Make sure that your apology is sincere and direct.Try saying something like, “I am sorry that I did/said that.
I didn’t mean it.
I will try to be more thoughtful in the future.” , After you have apologized (if it was necessary), you need to forgive yourself for what you did or said.
Forgiving yourself is an important step in dealing with embarrassment because it will help you to stop beating yourself up.
By forgiving yourself, you are sending yourself the message that you made an honest mistake and it is nothing to dwell on.Try telling yourself something like, “I forgive myself for what I did.
I am only human and I am bound to make mistakes sometimes.” , While you don’t want to ignore the embarrassing thing that you did or said, after you have evaluated it and dealt with the situation you should move on.
You can help yourself and other move past the embarrassing thing by changing the subject or inviting them to do something else.For example, after you have apologized and forgiven yourself for saying something inappropriate to a friend, ask them if they watched the news last night.
Or, pay them a compliment.
Say something like, “Hey, I love your outfit.
Where did you get it?”
About the Author
Peter Thomas
Brings years of experience writing about creative arts and related subjects.
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