Does anyone feel just a bit awkward about doing some every day things?

[Pyri]

I am a successful, confident woman in every day life. So why do I feel like such a prize idiot doing normal things like:

• taking stuff back to the tiny post office counter that’s in the corner shop, I feel weirdly guilty about doing ASOS returns there without buying anything
• taking my car to a car wash, feeling like I’m going to prang it going around corners then feeling a bit awkward not knowing when to tell them I only want the outside doing / not sure where to look when they’re buffing the windscreen / wondering if I’ll run over their toes when pulling forward
• literally anything to do with conversing with workmen

WHY?!! Does anyone else manage perfectly in real life but feel just a bit awkward with these minor interactions?

Oh gosh yes everything. Weirdly in work I am totally confident and competent, but in personal life fall to pieces at the simplest thing. Sometimes I will force myself to act like it is a work activity, just so I can be vaguely competent.

Glad I am not the only one who pretends not to know people. I always feel like I am doing them a favour and they will be glad not to have to speak to me.

If I do ever have to say hi to someone I cringe at how quiet I am. Like a little mouse, it’s pointless even speaking. People must think I am such a freak.

@KeepGrowing it's also the actual act of leaving that gets me too. Especially at a friend or relatives, I have to think out what to say.. well best get going... Etc I don't want to cause offence!

Leaving work I hate saying bye it can be such an ordeal

Seeing my neighbours. I feel like I have to ask how they are and start to chat. Every. Single. Time. Why!?! And it always leads to a sort of odd conversation where I'm in the middle of leaving the house in a rush or putting the bins out with no bra on or something and I think we are both too polite not to do it.

it's also the actual act of leaving that gets me too.

If someone is at mine (which I don’t like anyway) and they get up to leave or whatever I always see them out. Walk to the door, open it, say thanks/see you later/whatever.

However I’ve noticed that it’s not a universal thing, I don’t know if I’m right or wrong but I’ve found myself at a couple of peoples houses, stood and said whatever is a polite version of I’m off now and they just sat there. First time I felt really awkward and was like BYE THEN incase she didn’t know that me standing up and getting my coat was a leaving signal. She just said ‘see ya’ and I uncomfortably went to the door, got my shoes on and then because I was all flustered started panicking about if she would know I had gone or if she thought I might hide somewhere so I ended up yelling BYEEEE as I shut the door.

@Chichimcgee i do exactly the same and I've also worried after I've left about did they actually know I was going.

@Wallawallakoala

I think you’re my soul sister. I will always be a little happier knowing there someone else my age who looks like a teenager and finds everything awkward!

@hamsterchump

Are there people who can lie on their sofa watching TV and eating crisps in their dressing gown in full view while their cleaner hoovers round them

I used to be a cleaner and the answer is yes 😂 I never minded and didnt judge .
Tbh that's mild compared to some of the sights I've seen while cleaning

[quote ILoveHuskies]@hamsterchump

Are there people who can lie on their sofa watching TV and eating crisps in their dressing gown in full view while their cleaner hoovers round them

I used to be a cleaner and the answer is yes 😂 I never minded and didnt judge .
Tbh that's mild compared to some of the sights I've seen while cleaning
[/quote]
Well it's heartening to find I'm not alone in being in the house while the cleaner is there and being OK with it.

Buying loo roll.

Literally one of the most awkward moments of my life. I always want to buy the huge 24 packs but I get so embarrassed incase everything thinks I’ve got the major shits or something. When in actual fact I know nobody cares/notices/realise it’s normal.

@BakedTattie

Buying loo roll.

Literally one of the most awkward moments of my life. I always want to buy the huge 24 packs but I get so embarrassed incase everything thinks I’ve got the major shits or something. When in actual fact I know nobody cares/notices/realise it’s normal.

Buying loo roll doesn't phase me at all, however we have started ordering ours online from Who Gives A Crap.

It turns up in an offensively big van, in a box with the company name emblazoned all over it. Given I'm slightly common this doesn't faze me at all. Slightly primmer DH OTOH is mortified by its appearance, and has even made me change the delivery instructions so the courier won't leave it with a neighbour if we are out.

Haircuts. Staring at my aging mug under harsh and very unflattering light while someone tries to make small talk with me. I hate it. So much so, that in fact I've just started cutting my own hair. Its surprisingly ok, so I'm just going to keep doing this.

@Effitall

Leaving work at the same time as colleagues and not wanting to be the first to pull out the car park because I don’t want them driving behind me!

I once sat there for so long waiting for my colleague to leave first that she got out of her car and knocked on my window to ask if everything was ok. Another time I saw them coming down the road after me on the way to work so quickly dove into the car park so I wouldn’t have to park in front of them only to be met by an unexpected van full of workmen in my usual space, had to reverse back and get into another space now in front of my colleague waiting behind me and the workmen and messed it up about three times due to feeling so flustered.

My boss / the CEO drives the same way home as me and I absolutely hate him driving behind me. I panic so much and try and drive the best I've ever driven. I feel myself burning up if I need to change lanes or something. What is actually wrong with me

@Chichimcgee definitely! If I see someone getting their ID out whilst buying Calpol I'll give them a wink and hope it's you.

Clearly will never do this as I'm in too much of s panic at the till to notice anyone else around.

I hate going to fill the car up and the only
Pump available is at the front so I have to manouver through then reverse to get near the pump. Gives me hives I hate it I can never get close enough to the pump.

Love these

The other one I remembered is overly friendly waiters who run through all the specials with intense eye contact, while you have to sit there and smile and look like you’re really interested in the carrot soup or the jellied eels or something, then they ask for your order and you just order something from the regular menu.

@joydivisionovengloves71

Oh and I can't call anyone I don't know unless it's an absolute emergency. If a restaurant doesn't do online booking I don't go. Just had a roof and fence replaced and all done by Facebook messenger

Same here, I try to arrange everything by email or text. But I think it's better, if you call a trades(wo)man they might be up a ladder or in the middle of sorting out someone's plumbing when you call.

My brother and sister in law had a live in housekeeper (yes I know) and I found that really hard to deal with. I usually ended up in the kitchen helping her 🤣🤣

Arriving home at the same time as the neighbours and making small talk. Eurghhhhhhh.

I'm so glad it's not just me. I hate going to the hairdresser, I've started asking for a different stylist each time as I started feeling guilty about inflicting the pain of my attempts at awkward small talk onto the same person each time.

The other day I went into an independent pet shop to see how much their dog food was. But there were no prices on anything so I had to ask how much everything was. It was quite expensive so I said I'd leave it and made up a story about coming back later when I have my car with me to carry it. But realised afterwards that I was fiddling nervously with my car key the whole time, so now she knows I was lying and I can never go in there again.

When people have to deliver heavy items into your house

I went a car boot sale once and it was the most awkward experience ever. Looking over a stall and realising I don’t want any of their stuff, but they are looking at me and ugh - so awkward. And if I did want something then having to ask how much, and it it’s too much then putting it down and backing away and saying thank you.... arghh I feel so stressed reliving the experience!