Even when you communicate with a group of people you know, you may feel that you don’t fit in. Because of this, your mood deteriorates, and you desire to leave quickly and skip the next meeting. Your approach to communication, self-esteem, and attitude often influence the feeling that you are not at ease. The situation can be corrected—here are some tips on communicating in a company when you feel you do not fit in.
9 tips for communicating in a company where you don’t fit in
1. Think about how you see yourself
When you don’t fit in, your feelings can be based on facts and assumptions. For example, if you come to a cafe for the first time and meet an unfamiliar company to play board games, you will seem like an outsider to all those gathered. In this case, it is worth reminding yourself that this situation is regular and temporary. After spending some time playing with strangers, you will be able to get to know them better and find at least a few points of contact that will help you feel accepted and understood.
But sometimes it seems that you don’t fit in even with a well-known company, and no matter how hard you try, the situation stays the same. Perhaps this is because of your social mistakes or how you see yourself. Often, the feeling that you don’t fit in can come from self-condemnation and excessive criticism of yourself. For example, if you usually think that you are “strange” or “not like that,” it will be challenging to feel that you belong to any group of people.
Try to reconfigure your brain and teach it to use other labels in your address. For example, tell yourself that you are an engaging, funny, friendly person with whom it is easy to communicate and talk. Convincing yourself that everything is okay with you will involuntarily change your behavior and approach to communication, which will help you stop feeling out of place.
2. Don’t pretend to be someone else
Sometimes, we have to adapt to certain situations and environments. For example, we talk more politely and courteously with our parents, and we take some liberties and banter with our friends. But you shouldn’t change or hide the essence of who you are just because you want to fit into the company. Even if you manage to please everyone around you and make friends with new acquaintances, you will still feel like a stranger on your own since you do not show your true self.
3. Use friendly body language
Body language plays a significant role in how other people perceive us. When we are nervous, we strain every muscle, fold our arms over our chest, cross our legs, and make a serious, sometimes even sullen, expression on our faces. Visit. A F R I N I K . C O M For the full article .But if you want to communicate in a company and feel that you fit into it, change your body position. Relax your jaw and forehead, lower your eyebrows, maintain your posture, and take open poses — all this will help you look more friendly and strengthen your self-confidence.
4. Learn to open up
If you want to learn to fit into any company and stay yourself, you must work on opening up to people. For example, don’t be shy about talking about yourself, but at the same time, be a good listener. This balance helps to achieve comfort in communication, as well as better develop intimacy and trust. Besides, by opening up to others, you allow them to understand you and discover what you are like. The more points of contact you find, even the smallest ones, the easier to feel like “your own.”
5. Overcome the problems of trust
To fit into the company of people, you have to give them a certain level of trust. This can be a challenging task, especially if there have been things like bullying or betrayal in your past. You can develop and cultivate trust but note that this process takes time. It would be best if you let go of past resentments, stop dwelling on negativity, and learn to give other people the “presumption of innocence,” setting yourself up for the fact that not everyone wants to hurt you.
6. Ask questions
Show interest in other people by asking them questions. This helps eliminate the image of a silent person and establish communication with those nearby. Make sure that the questions you ask are not too personal or awkward. For example, if someone mentions that they have experienced a breakup, you should not ask about the reasons for the collapse of the relationship or something similar.
7. Don’t tease or make fun of people
You may notice the company members teasing each other, and you may want to participate. However, you should only do this if you are close enough to the people beside you. Teasing can strengthen and destroy a relationship, especially in cases where you can’t be sure it will be received correctly.
8. Try something new
Let’s say the company members say they will meet and play basketball. “It’s a pity that I’m not playing,” you think and refuse the event. No one is born knowing what they can do well and what they like— we learn about it through experiments. By doing things that fascinate others, you can feel that you fit into their circle because you share a common experience with them.
If you’ve never tried to play basketball, don’t turn down a meeting — it’s better to go to it and learn something new among the people you care about. Of course, no one says you need to agree to something you don’t like just to fit into the company. If basketball annoys you, don’t go against yourself. But if you haven’t tried a hobby, spend time with friends – who knows, maybe it will become your new life passion.
9. Accept the differences
You can believe that to fit into a company, you must be like other members. But the truth is, it’s rare to find people who will be almost one hundred percent the same as you. Sometimes, even close friends have opposing views on certain things, but this does not prevent them from enjoying each other’s company for years.
You don’t need to have an opinion about everything or agree with someone else’s point of view if it doesn’t match yours. Accepting differences in how you and others view the world should not be a chasm to communication and friendship. Try to express your own opinion respectfully and not criticize others to fit into the company, but at the same time, remain yourself.
