How to Survive Hours of Small Talk at Your Office Holiday Party, From a Workplace Wellness Expert – NBC10 Philadelphia

Office Christmas parties can lead to awkward encounters.

At least that’s how many people, especially those with social anxiety, might feel.

Even the most extroverted among us might be hesitant to attend a work holiday event, says Gloria Chan Packer, workplace mental wellness expert and founder of Recalibrate.

It can “feel weird to merge the lines of something personal, like vacation and partying, with the workplace,” she says.

Still, “I think in general there’s value in showing your face and attending holiday parties,” Packer adds, “because it’s an opportunity to socialize with your colleagues.”

Here, she shares her top tips for making the most of an office holiday get-together – including planning your exit strategy well in advance.

1. Set a time limit

First, given how busy this time of year can be, Packer says it can be helpful to set a limit on the events you want to attend each week, depending on how much time and energy you have.

When it comes to events you attend, you should have a few goals in mind: How long do you want to stay? Who would you like to talk to? What kind of connection do you want to have made by the end of the event?

Try setting a timer every 30 minutes, says Packer. At each interval, check whether you are still having fun or whether it is time to go.

2. Prepare a few conversation starters

If hours of small talk send you into an anxiety spiral, Packer recommends preparing a few conversation starters in advance to help you deepen the discussion.

Replace superficial questions like “What is your role at the company?” with more open and casual topics that can help you connect: “What is one of your favorite holiday traditions?” or “What is one of your favorite holiday memories?”

Keep the momentum going even when others join the conversation.

“This happens all the time at holiday parties, when you’re deeper into a conversation and someone else walks by and you feel like you’re going to get pulled right back into the small talk,” Packer says. Instead, you should “use a polite manner to maintain the depth of the conversation, such as welcoming the other person and saying, ‘Hey, this is what we talked about. We want to hear that from you too.’”

Remember that you have tools to maintain influence in a situation—you don’t just have to wait for something to happen to you, says Packer. This can help ease anxious feelings.

3. Practice your exit strategy

If you like people and find it difficult to leave events, Packer recommends having a few sentences in mind about how you can break away without feeling like you’re letting someone down.

When you’re ready to go, you can say, “Thank you for hosting this holiday event. I had a really nice time and am so grateful to be part of this team. I have some other commitments to take care of so I have to jet off.

“These social events make us feel completely out of control, and that can feel weird,” Packer says. “But think about what you want to get out of it and how you want to structure certain things the way you would a meeting or how you approach your work.”

In general, if you’re feeling any kind of stress or anxiety about an upcoming work-related event, “take a moment to introspectively figure out what that stress or anxiety might be rooted in,” says Packer, “and try to figure out: whether you are able to proactively solve problems.”

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