‘Barbie’ might be the movie of the year for social anxiety
Barbie is actually a movie about mental health, specifically our social anxiety around “not good enough”…
Written by: Ian Chew, MHFA
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Social Skills
How to end an online conversation politely
Does anyone still remember MSN? The clunky but popular messaging app that kids were crazy about 16 years ago? As far as I could remember, … Read more
Written by: Ian Chew, MHFA
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5 ways to end a phone call without being awkward
Having worked remotely over the last decade, I’ve probably done more phone calls than most professionals. Compared to video calls, phone calls can be much … Read more
Written by: Ian Chew, MHFA
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6 non-awkward ways to end a conversation at a networking event
Here’s how many people end networking conversations: “Let’s exchange business cards”. Or, “Can I have your business card?” I’ve been to many networking events as … Read more
Written by: Ian Chew, MHFA
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How to politely end a conversation with someone you don’t like
Most of us, myself included, will do whatever we can to avoid conversations with people we don’t like. And that makes sense: why mentally torture … Read more
Written by: Ian Chew, MHFA
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How to start a conversation with anyone
Is it possible to start a conversation with anyone? Yes! I don’t say this lightly. I’ve suffered from decades of social anxiety. And despite that, … Read more
Written by: Ian Chew, MHFA
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How to start a conversation with your parents as an adult
Here’s a puzzle that humanity has been trying to solve for centuries… Most parents want the best for their children. Most children certainly don’t … Read more
Written by: Ian Chew, MHFA
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How to end a conversation with someone you like
You feel the chemistry sweeping through your veins… Yes, this is someone I want to spend more time with. As the conversation comes to an … Read more
Written by: Ian Chew, MHFA
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How to end a conversation with a friend (without being awkward)
“…bye.” “uhh…bye!” Ending conversations with friends used to be so cringey for me. Especially when we had such a great time… it just felt wrong … Read more
Written by: Ian Chew, MHFA
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How to end a long-winded conversation
Man. They can’t seem to stop talking. The conversation was interesting at first, but now… How do you end the conversation politely? Here are a … Read more
Written by: Ian Chew, MHFA
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How to end a negative conversation without being rude
What does a negative conversation feel like? It’s like having your ice cream drop on the floor. Not fun. Or it can feel like a … Read more
Written by: Ian Chew, MHFA
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12 simple phrases to end a conversation politely
There’s a variety of ways to wrap up a conversation easily and elegantly. In this article, I’ll share a list of phrases that I use depending on the context…
Written by: Ian Chew, MHFA
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4 ways to end a boring conversation politely
Yawn. If sleeping in a conversation was socially acceptable… Wouldn’t that be nice? I’m referring to boring conversations. They just aren’t fun when they appear… … Read more
Written by: Ian Chew, MHFA
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7 ways to start a conversation with your sibling as an adult
Whether you love or hate your siblings, here’s the reality: When your parents pass away, they will be your closest family members (by blood relation, … Read more
Written by: Ian Chew, MHFA
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7 ways to start a conversation with your colleague at work
Most of us spend at least 8 hours at work… and that’s not including commute time! With the bulk of our days — our lives, … Read more
Written by: Ian Chew, MHFA
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13 low-stress ways to talk with classmates and make friends
Growing up, I moved to four different schools and had to rebuild my friendships each time. Here’s what I learned…
Written by: Ian Chew, MHFA
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7 ways to start a conversation with a guy (without being awkward)
Wait. You wanna talk to a guy? Do you know how easy that is!? I know because I’m a guy. OK, if you want to … Read more
Written by: Ian Chew, MHFA
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10 ways to start a conversation with a girl (without being awkward or creepy)
Scientifically reviewed by Rebecca Koay, M.Couns. Talking to girls — especially attractive girls — was a nightmare for me back then. I didn’t know where … Read more
Written by: Ian Chew, MHFA
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16 easy ways to start a conversation with your neighbor (without being awkward)
When I moved back home, I found myself not knowing any of my neighbors, and it took me months to build relationships from scratch… here’s what I learned:
Written by: Ian Chew, MHFA
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10 easy ways to start a conversation with a coworking space member (without being awkward)
My first internship wasn’t in a conventional office environment. It was in a coworking space — the Centre for Social Innovation in Toronto. Over the … Read more
Written by: Ian Chew, MHFA
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