What to say when there’s nothing to talk about

Sometimes you can be in a conversation and you can feel that the flow of the conversation dries up. Other times, you may be in a room with people and it’s quiet as neither of you can think of anything to say. However, once you learn a few conversation skills, you’ll never again be left wondering what to say when there’s nothing to talk about.

First of all, it is important to realize that there is always something to talk about. With a whole world around you, full of interesting things, there is no way you will run out of things to talk about. Don’t forget that you can also talk about the person’s past or future, not just what is happening now. That gives you more of a chance to find something you have in common that you might talk about.

Remember too, that if you can stick to your composition and not get angry or upset, you don’t need to agree to talk about something. If you can respect the different opinions and listen to the other person as well, then these differences can make for some pretty interesting conversations.

If you feel like the conversation is fading, maybe the first thing you should do is take a step back, take a few deep breaths, and relax. That will clear your mind and allow all those topics to flood your brain again. And if you feel yourself tense at any point during the conversation (or lack thereof!), stop and take a deep breath.

You’re not the only one responsible for keeping the conversation flowing on your own, so stop beating yourself up. It can mean moving into a conversation with another person if the first person seems unwilling to join the conversation. However, don’t be too eager to move on to another topic. Let there be some silence if necessary, so people have time to think. You don’t have to think of anything clever or funny to revive a conversation when there seems to be nothing else to talk about. You’ll find that small talk is often the best way to get a conversation flowing again because it’s easy for people to respond and, in turn, they feel like they don’t have to work hard to get the “right” answer.

When there seems to be nothing to talk about, you need to make it easy for the other person to talk. Talk to them about something you know they will have something to say about. For example, you could ask them what they were doing, their trip to the place, who they came with, etc. Ask the other person about things you know they are interested in. Now, if you don’t know the person well enough to know what her interests are, then ask what she’s interested in. People love to talk about themselves, so all you need to do is express interest to get the other person to talk.

Part of making it easier for the other person to talk is to ask open-ended questions. Make sure your questions are about simple topics that depend on opinion rather than knowledge for answers, and cannot be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.” That should perk people up and get the conversation flowing again.

The tone with which you say something can be even more important than what you say. Your tone should be friendly and open, inviting a response in a way that makes it clear that you won’t be judging the other person. Make your body language open as well.

So, there is always something to talk about. Look at your surroundings or the event that brought you together. Relax and don’t feel pressured to be funny or clever and just say something that you think will open up the conversation and encourage other people to talk. That way, the conversation should flow quickly, and you’ll have found plenty to say when there’s nothing to talk about.