Did you ever have one of those moments where all eyes fix on your because something embarrassing happened?
Maybe it was something you said or something you accidentally said.
Everyone has at least one embarrassing moment they cannot get over and is engraved in memories. It really isn't easy to get over the moment when you became the laughing stock. Or you thought you were being ridiculed because of what happened.
Embarrassing moments fill you with shame when it happens. But years from now, the advice will ring true: you will laugh at yourself.
But when this awkward moment occurs, here is what you can do to cope with it:
1) Apologize.
If your embarrassing moment consists of you saying the wrong thing or calling someone by the wrong name, just apologize.
Owning up to your mistake will help you recover from the situation with dignity as people will respect you for your honesty.
2) Cover it up.
If it is a slip made during a speech or conversation, just cover it up with a different topic or remember to say a wrongly pronounced word correctly the next time you use it.
This should be used when you are in a situation where you are expected to perform.
Your grades may depend on it. Or your promotion may depend on it.
In this case, changing the topic or quickly moving on to the next subject of the presentation may help.
3) Make fun of yourself
At some point, we have all slipped up. Quite literally even. Some people find other people falling, assuming.
Provided you haven't hurt yourself or broken your bones, make light of the situation by laughing.
In fact, be the first one to laugh even if you accidentally spill something on yourself and feel icky.
Crying over spilt milk will yield nothing. Laughing at yourself will show people how easy-going you are and able to cope with an embarrassing situation in an adaptive manner.
4) Don't torture yourself and keep remembering the moment
That's the one thing we all seem to be guilty of. And it usually happens when you can't fall asleep.
Remember that everyone goes through something embarrassing at some point or another, and dwelling on the past will not help you in any way.
Even if you have to remember it, turn your perception so you can see the comical side of it rather than the shameful aspect of it.
Another way to deal with it is to share the story with a friend and make fun of the situation. That will lessen the power of that moment and not torture you anymore.
5) Don't blow it out of proportion
When something doesn't go the way you want and you end up with egg on your face, remember to keep calm rather than have an outburst.
Or worse, don't start blaming someone else who is around you. Take a deep breath and learn to walk away without making a scene.
6) Learn from your mistakes and embarrassing situations
Forewarned is forearmed. Embarrassing moments are life lessons, too, and you should try to learn from them.
If you know you tend to forget names or mispronounce names, remember that the next time you meet someone or the very person with a complicated name, to say their name the way they corrected you before.
Or if you know that you are clumsy and carrying three coffee cups is a bad idea and caused that embarrassing gaffe, just remember to carry one cup at a time and avoid slippery floors.
Learn from your mistakes so that you are less likely to repeat them.
7) Calm down and try again
You may be in the middle of a speech when you make a blooper.
You may even hear people chuckling at this point.
Take a deep breath, calm down, and move forward. Or if you need to explain that point, then repeat it rather than let the few amused audience members get to you.
8) Recover from the embarrassing situation by focusing on Plan B.
Imagine walking to an important event when your heels break off. Or your jacket rips off.
Just like celebrities and models are trained to do so, don't let that one stumbling moment stop you from enjoying yourself.
There have been celebrities who have removed their broken heels and walked barefoot.
Or those who took off their jackets and walked in their undershirt.
Moments like these happen, and it is important to have a plan B.
If you feel you are prone to embarrassing situations, prepare for it beforehand by carrying an extra pair of shoes or an extra shirt or jacket.
In the case where your file for a presentation doesn't work, make sure your files were saved on a cloud so you can access them from anywhere.
Be prepared with a Plan B. And sometimes Plan C, too.
9) Ignore those who make fun of your embarrassing moment and focus on your work
Not everyone is going to be concerned and mature enough to understand your slip-ups. There are those who will laugh at you or purposely not tell you that you have a stain on your shirt or something green between your teeth.
And they may even be making fun of you behind your back.
Just ignore them and focus on your work at hand.
10) Accept help from those who offer it.
Often, it happens that when you slip up, the first thing you would want to do is hide or walk away.
If someone offers help at that time, compose yourself enough to accept it.
Also, thank them for the offer. It could be that someone offers you their hand when you fall, or a napkin when you drop something on yourself like a drink or bird poo.
As embarrassed as you feel, shunning people or telling them to get out of your way when they are being kind, can just add on to the moment when you think of it later.
Learn to be okay with accepting help from people who may be genuinely concerned.
Embarrassing moments tend to occur every now and then.
But keep calm and learn to tackle these situations effectively with these tips.
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