People with social anxiety don’t mean to make things awkward, obviously.
In fact, most of the time, they’re trying really hard not to. Of course, that effort to avoid embarrassment or get everything just right can lead to blurting, backtracking, or saying things that land a bit weird, especially when nerves take over. Here are some of the things they sometimes come out with that are bizarre, uncomfortable, or just plain unnecessary. Try to cut them a bit of slack.
1. “Sorry, was that weird? That sounded weird.”
This often comes seconds after saying something totally normal. But the second-guessing kicks in mid-conversation and suddenly, what didn’t sound odd at all now feels like the most uncomfortable thing ever said. Most people wouldn’t have noticed a thing until the apology drew attention to it. Now, instead of keeping the conversation flowing, everyone’s caught in a moment that didn’t need to be a moment.
2. “I was going to say something funny, but never mind.”
It usually starts as a flash of bravery, a moment where they try to jump in. But halfway through the sentence, self-doubt barges in and pulls the emergency brake. Now everyone’s left hanging, unsure whether to laugh, ask for the joke, or just move on. And the person with anxiety ends up feeling more exposed than if they’d just gone for it.
3. “You probably think I’m really awkward, don’t you?”
In most cases, no one was thinking that at all—until this question popped up. It’s meant to acknowledge the weirdness they feel inside, but saying it out loud tends to make things feel even more awkward. It puts people in the uncomfortable position of trying to reassure someone who’s clearly stuck in their own head, which only makes everyone more self-conscious than they already were.
4. “I rehearsed this in my head, and it didn’t sound like this.”
Sometimes what they meant to say came out completely differently, or got tangled in nerves on the way out. Instead of brushing it off, they admit to practising it, which adds a whole new layer of awkward to the mix. It’s a very honest moment, but one that makes people pause, unsure whether to respond with sympathy, humour, or just pretend it didn’t happen.
5. “Sorry, I talk too much when I’m nervous. I’ll stop.”
They’ve been rambling out of sheer panic, trying to fill the silence, and then suddenly they slam on the brakes. The room goes quiet, and now it’s their own silence that feels too loud. It turns what could’ve been a normal back-and-forth into a full stop, making it obvious they’re self-monitoring in real time. It doesn’t just kill the flow—it makes them wish they hadn’t said anything at all.
6. “I’ll just be over here… existing weirdly.”
Things like this come out when they feel like they’ve said or done something minor but mortifying. It’s their way of trying to laugh it off, but it often lands more awkward than lighthearted. People around them aren’t always sure whether to laugh along or reassure them, which ends up making the moment feel heavier than it needs to be.
7. “I thought about waving, but then it felt too late.”
They saw someone they knew, froze, hesitated, then decided it was too late to wave… and now they’re explaining it out loud. It’s relatable, but also a bit baffling to someone who doesn’t overthink basic gestures. Instead of just saying hi, they’ve opened the door to an unnecessarily complex moment over nothing. Somehow, it now feels like a social puzzle that no one knows how to solve.
8. “I’m bad at this. You’re being really patient.”
This isn’t fishing for compliments; it’s genuine self-awareness delivered with a nervous laugh. However, it can put pressure on the other person to downplay the anxiety or carry the whole conversation. Even though it’s meant to be humble, it can create an imbalance in the interaction where one person’s anxiety takes up all the air in the room, even if no one intended it to.
9. “I’ve replayed our last conversation like ten times.”
This one tends to pop up in follow-up chats, especially if the last one felt shaky. It’s meant as an honest moment, but it can make people feel like they’re under a microscope they didn’t ask to be in. Most people don’t remember the last conversation in detail, so hearing it’s been mentally dissected can feel a bit intense, even when it’s said with a smile.
10. “I don’t know what to do with my hands.”
They’re standing there, frozen, overthinking every movement. The hands are too visible, too still, too awkward, and the only solution, apparently, is to talk about them out loud. It’s the kind of thing that makes people laugh nervously and then also start overthinking their own hands. Before you know it, everyone’s suddenly hyper-aware of their limbs in the middle of a casual chat.
11. “This is going badly, isn’t it?”
This is the conversational equivalent of pulling the fire alarm when there’s only a bit of smoke. Most of the time, things were going fine—or at least passably—until this self-destruct moment happened. It turns a small wobble into a full-on crisis, and now everyone feels like they’re scrambling to salvage something that wasn’t even broken. It’s hard to come back from that without it feeling awkward.
12. “Can we pretend I didn’t say that?”
This one usually comes after a joke that didn’t land, a comment that sounded strange, or something they instantly regretted. Instead of letting it fade, they flag it and try to rewind real life like it’s a podcast. Unfortunately, drawing attention to the moment often makes it worse. Everyone laughs a little too loudly, nods too quickly, and the tension lingers longer than it needs to.
13. “I’ll let you talk now, sorry. I’m being annoying.”
They’ve been nervously chatting, then suddenly panic that they’re overdoing it. So they stop, mid-sentence, and apologise in advance for being annoying, even though no one said anything. It’s awkward not because they were annoying, but because now the other person has to reassure them, which changes the tone from light to fragile in a heartbeat.
14. “I almost didn’t come because I thought it would be weird.”
It’s an attempt to be honest and relatable, but admitting you thought about bailing makes the other person second-guess the vibe, too. What was fine now feels slightly loaded. It’s meant to show vulnerability, but it can also make people feel a bit awkward about the effort they made to show up, especially if they weren’t thinking it was weird until now.
15. “You probably didn’t want to talk to me anyway.”
This one lands heavy, especially when it’s meant as a joke. It’s the voice of social anxiety trying to say “I feel unsure,” but it often comes off as guilt-tripping or just plain sad. It puts the other person in the uncomfortable position of having to prove they do want to engage, which isn’t exactly a natural vibe to work with mid-conversation.
16. “Sorry I’m bad at existing in public.”
It’s funny, in a very self-deprecating way, but it also reveals just how uncomfortable they feel simply being visible. Saying it out loud doesn’t lighten the mood—it just shows how hard they’re trying to shrink themselves. It turns the moment into something heavier than it needs to be. Most people aren’t judging nearly as much as someone with social anxiety assumes. Of course, when it gets voiced like this, the awkwardness becomes real for everyone in the room.
