Sometimes conversations have to end, whether we like it or not, anyways here are some tips on how to not run out of things to say in a conversation.
Try not to censor yourself, remember that you should say what’s on your mind, worrying about what you just said if it was dumb or stupid hinders your speaking and it’s unpleasant, saying mundane boring things is okay, it’s okay if all you talk about is the weather, it’s called small talk for a reason.
Asking personal questions during a conversation can re-energize the whole conversation, remember to ask open-ended questions, so that the other person won’t give you simple one-word answers, when talking personally we tend to learn about the passions, hopes, and dreams of the person we’re talking to.
Sometimes thinking about how you might screw up this conversation and act like an idiot sets you up as a failure, stop thinking like that, you have to put your focus outwards to converse naturally if you worry all the time about what to say and when to say it, it’s probably because you’re thinking too much and it’s debilitating.
Stop trying to please the other person and allow natural silences and pauses in the conversation, you don’t have to fill out every single hole or gap in the conversation, it comes off as unnatural and too try-hardish, sometimes being a great listener is better than being talkative all the time!
Asking follow-up questions is also a great strategy, for example, your friend tells you a story about how he got his dog from a nearby animal shelter, you could expand the conversation by asking which specific shelter, and why this special breed of dog he chose, these types of questions expand the conversation beyond the limits of general statements and give the other person a chance to express themselves.
Remember that conversations are meant to end, you wouldn’t talk to your significant other for 5 hours straight, would you? Sometimes we need to recharge our social batteries and get a drink or smoke a cigarette, sometimes people are in a hurry and small talk is the only possible option, and remember a natural conversation has its flow and it’s bound to end.
