Let's face it, sometimes girls can be chatty. We all have that one friend who just won't stop talking. Maybe you're in a meeting and she keeps interrupting, or maybe you're out for drinks and she dominates the conversation. Whatever the situation may be, sometimes we need to shut her up.
But how do we do this without being rude? It's all about attitude adjustment. Here are some tips on how to shut up a girl without causing offence:
Set Boundaries
The first step is to set boundaries. If your friend is constantly interrupting you, let her know that it's not okay and give feedback. Tell her politely that when she talks over you, it feels disrespectful and makes communication difficult.
If your friend tends to dominate conversations with excessive chatter, ask if others would mind sharing their thoughts too and highlight these points . Explain that everyone should get an equal opportunity to express themselves.
By setting clear boundaries from the start, your friend will understand that there are limits on what she can say around you.
Use Humour
Humour is a great tool for shutting down unwanted chatter without sounding rude or confrontational as long as its use does not cause any offense . If your friend is going off on a tangent about something irrelevant tell her lightly but firmly 'This topic might make us miss our train'.
Using humour shows that you don't take yourself too seriously while still conveying the message that enough has been said. Your friend will get the hint and dial back her wordiness.
Change The Topic Of Conversation
Sometimes people talk excessively because they feel passionate about something which can create an imbalance in conversations so changing topics will balance things out by letting other people have time to speak .
Interrupting with "hey speaking of trains/planes/natural phenomena" (whatever deviation relevant) then launch into a new topic of interest. In most cases, this will be enough to get your friend off her soapbox and back into the conversation no pun intended.
Provide Distractions
If your friend is constantly talking over you or others in a conversation, providing distractions can help shift the focus away from her words. Offer snacks and drinks if at home or suggest getting fresh air while taking a walk/breather outside on an area with good scenery would not hurt.
By giving her something else to do or placing oneself intentionally in alternative environments, she's less likely to dominate the discussion. This option may work better with multiple interruptions but we don't recommend ping ponging between distraction like its tournament season!
Be Honest But Polite
At times it might best for both parties involved that you have an honest heart-to-heart communication about their tendency of rambling on where everyone gets feedback. Express how much you value them as a person but when it comes to listening ,one needs space too move beyond what they are comfortable hearing all day long.
Tell your friend that sometimes they talk more than necessary and pick topics which should take less time without coming out as hostile or resentful like "I want my life/ dialogues diverse enough for variety." You'll be amazed just how often people appreciate honesty even when delivered softly yet bluntly.
Sometimes shutting up girls requires going above and beyond naivete normally acceptable level of manners; dipping slightly into cut-throat remarks (if one thinks so), humor drawing inferences etc.That being said anything said must generate positive results - laughter equal compliments!