In honor of the new romantic comedy release this weekend, “That Awkward Moment” starring heartthrob Zac Efron, we’ve decided to share some of our very own tips on surviving awkward moments.
There are so many opportunities for “awkward moments” to present themselves in relationships. Whether your relationship is newly budding, fully flourished, or slowly dying, don’t let your AM (awkward moment) stump you! No matter which direction your love life seems to be headed, every AM can be solved by simply moving forward or moving on.
In new relationships, it seems as if AM’s occur every day. From trying to hide your embarrassing laugh, pretending you don’t smell his overbearing gas, rambling too much on the first date, hoping he doesn’t reach for your sweaty palm, or trying not to bump heads when leaning in for that first kiss. The thing is, we’ve all been there! And while it may seem like the most embarrassing thing in the world at the time…the thing to remember is that it’s never truly as devastating as it seems. This is definitely the time to move forward, don’t allow a little quirkiness to ruin something that could end up being really great.
In more serious relationships, the most awkward moment of all is probably realizing just how deeply involved the two of you are. For instance, introducing your significant other to family, getting into disagreements over personal beliefs, or saying “I love you” too soon. This is when AM’s can become a real concern, and with good reason. In these instances the decision to move forward or move on becomes a little more difficult. These relationships are in a place where you must now decide if this mishap is something the two of you can get past or if it really is a game changer. If you decide to move forward, you must REALLY move forward. That means no bringing it up every time you get mad and want the upper hand in an argument. Chances are, if you continue to bring it up it was a bigger deal than you realized and probably shouldn’t have muffled over. If your choice is to move on, stick to your word on that as well. There’s never a reason to force things together especially when they simply don’t work. Handle the end of things with dignity, preventing another even more petrifying AM.
The absolute worst of AM’s occur when you’re single. There’s the moment you realize your relationship is over—you know before its actually over—running into your ex (even worse when they’re with someone new), or being the only single friend in the midst of all couples. In the majority of these situations, the best idea is to always move on. There’s never a reason to stay in a relationship that’s not going anywhere. You can always try to move forward and pretend the feelings are still there but eventually it will fall apart on its own. Prolonging the inevitable will only make things worse for you and the other person involved because someone will get hurt in the end. When running into an ex, THE ONLY OPTION is to move on. No matter how much it may hurt or how much of an awkward situation it puts you in, you must keep yourself composed. Learn from this relationship, so your next one is that much better! Instead of allowing your past to control your future, focus on what it taught you, better yourself and move on.
Last but not least move on when you’re the single friend. Don’t guilt trip your friends for being in a relationship while you’re single, and never ever be bitter! Find a hobby, read a book, or even score a rebound. Anything that you can throw yourself into fully and make better use of your time. Hanging around couples all the time will make you angry, depressed and a number of other things, so why torture yourself? Save yourself of AM’s, like watching your friends play kissy face or the awkwardness of watching you stuff your face with ice cream while crying about how lonely you are.
These are only a few AM’s we girls encounter but remember there are 2 things to keep in mind: 1. Remain calm! no situation is ever as bad as it seems. 2. You have two options, to move forward or move on, whichever you choose STICK TO IT! And don’t forget to catch the new movie this weekend! Whether with your boyfriend, girlfriend, best friend or even alone, it’s sure to be a superb de-stressor from this busy first week back.