We all have those moments when we want to ignore people. Whether they’re the person in front of us at Starbucks, a coworker who won’t stop talking about their pet iguana, or someone on Facebook who insists on posting political diatribes every day- it’s not always easy to politely ignore them and move on with your life. We’ve put together some tips to help you avoid confrontation and get through these challenging situations as quickly as possible!

Ignore the conversation politely.

 There are many ways to ignore the conversation politely. For example, you can pretend that your cell phone is ringing and answer it quickly while walking away from them or call a friend with an important question to end the conversation without being rude. You could also excuse yourself due to another engagement coming up (or if you have one). The best way, however, would be to say something like, “I’m sorry but I really need this time off now,” so they understand how much control over their own life we take when we allow ourselves these moments of silence and focus on what’s around us rather than those who are all around us too often.

Make excuses to leave.

You want to be polite and not just ignore people. You can tell them you have to leave in a few minutes or ask if they need anything before you go.

1. Walk away from the conversation: If it’s an impromptu chat with someone at your work desk asking how your weekend was, you might want to walk away from him and act like he isn’t there for the rest of the day. This will give both parties some space and time to cool off after their words were said too quickly without thinking about what one wants out of this interaction other than being rude.

2. Ask questions back when possible: When talking on the phone with someone who keeps interrupting you while trying to make excuses, don’t let that person control

Change the subject of the conversation.

 You know what it’s like to be in a conversation that isn’t going so well. Maybe you’re feeling bored and are looking for an opportunity to change the subject, or maybe somebody told you some news that bummed them out. Either way, there are many different ways of politely changing the topic of discussion without hurting anyone’s feelings.

1. If someone says something about themselves, ask them more questions
2. Ask what they think about another person – this is especially good if their views on said person differ significantly from yours
3. Comment on what they wore today: “I love your tie!” (If appropriate)
4. Try talking about topics which may interest both parties, such as cars or TV shows

Find an excuse to be somewhere else

By finding an excuse to be somewhere else, you can politely ignore people without hurting their feelings. You might be able to find a friend in the crowd and start up a conversation with them about something unrelated to what they are talking about. If not, you could excuse yourself for having to check on your child or pet around somewhere at the event but then head over to another part of the room where no one will notice or follow you.

Another way would be simply telling someone, “I’m sorry I don’t have time right now.” This phrase works because it doesn’t hurt anyone’s feelings and lets them know they’ll need to catch up with you later since you’re busy at this moment in time. It also takes any pressure off.

Try to make a hasty exit.

When you see the situation is going beyond your control, it is best to make a hasty escape. This way, you can avoid getting into an argument that will never end to your advantage. If the person starts following you, don’t walk faster than they do and don’t talk about the situation. Try not to explain yourself or give any information on why you want to ignore them.

This would only escalate the quarrel, and they’ll get more aggressive with their words towards you if they think that something happened between both of you before this moment. Ignore text messages from people as well.

If somebody sends out text messages asking for a reply but then sees that there’s no reaction after waiting some time, they might start feeling ignored again since now it looks like nothing ever really mattered.

 Refuse to engage in any eye contact with those involved in your current situation

Refuse to engage in any eye contact with those involved in your current situation.

1. If you’re ignoring a person because you don’t want to be rude, make sure not to look at the other people present. This may mean looking down or staring off into space for an extended time until they go away.
2. The easiest way is to ignore and walk away from them as soon as possible without making it obvious that’s what I’m doing.

If there are no conversations worth ignoring, try pretending to be still busy while avoiding eye contact by reading something on my phone, fiddling around with mechanical things like pens and pencils, etc. It will help me focus so when I can finally stop avoid looking up; they’ll have moved on.

Be polite when necessary but keep it short, sweet, and straightforward.

Being polite when necessary is a good idea and will help you get the message across to your target person. The key is keeping it short, sweet, and simple. When engaged in an argument with somebody, stand up straight as if on stage or at attention but don’t make eye contact when speaking. This shows that you are not cowering away but also doesn’t convey any hostility that can be misinterpreted as confrontational behavior.

Avoid interruptions during conversations by staying silent unless asked for input or clarification of what someone said previously (for example: “yes” or “I see”). It’s okay to ask questions about why they think such things might have happened too.

Don’t be rude or snobby – politely say, “I’m sorry I have to go,” and then leave.

You should not be rude to anyone who is trying to speak with you. You should not be rude or snobby in any way, but being extra polite will help make the person leave faster and without a fuss.

Being politely dismissive might seem like it’s going against your instincts, but there are ways of doing so that won’t hurt anyone’s feelings: Say “I’m sorry I have to go” and then walk away while still looking at them (don’t turn around). Or tell them what time another meeting starts when they ask something about your schedule. Just keep walking if you’re already on your way somewhere else. If someone asks for directions from where you’re heading, point out which block it is close by rather than giving specifics about how to get there.

Avoid eye contact if possible so as not to encourage conversation.

It is one of the best ways to ignore people politely. When you are in conversation with someone, focus on looking at them and maintain eye contact as much as possible. However, suppose the person is sitting or standing near you but not talking to you (in other words, they’re just a bystander). In that case, it’s best to avoid making any contact whatsoever because this may give off an air of rudeness that will encourage more interaction on your part.

This also includes keeping good posture, maintaining open space between yourself and others so there can be no confusion about personal boundaries, etc., smiling when appropriate without being too fake or seeming insincere – anything that makes sure the person does not feel like their time has been wasted, even though by technically speaking you can avoid.

Excuse yourself from the area where others are talking

If you’re going to be in the area for a while, it’s ok to nod and smile at people who try to start conversations with you. But if someone starts talking about something you don’t have any interest in, politely excuse yourself from the situation by using an easy escape route such as “I’m sorry but I need to go get some air.”

It can also help you be honest when no one is around or only two of you. When someone asks how your day was without looking up at them, say “not too bad” rather than trying to seem like everything is great even though it isn’t. Or tell them that they suck and walk away before their feelings get hurt.

Walk away if the conversation is not relevant to you

The conversation will not be about you, so if it is not relevant for you and you are in a hurry, politely excuse yourself from the conversation. If someone starts talking to me when I am on my phone or reading an email, I will do something like put up my index finger while saying “excuse me” as nicely as possible and walk away.

You’ll probably have no idea what they were asking for, but at least now they know that their request was handled respectfully.

 Ignore people by focusing on something else – like a book or TV show

1. Ignore people by just staring straight ahead like you don’t notice them
2. Ignore people with a polite, friendly greeting or nod – “Hi!” or even just a smile, and the person will go away.
3. If someone is trying to start up a conversation, ignore their first three sentences (the small talk), and they agree with something they say to end it politely on your terms.
4. Move somewhere else if possible. If not possible, try using headphones for music as an excuse for being unresponsive.

Avoid getting into confrontations with other people about their behavior.

You should not get involved in confrontations with other people about their behavior. These confrontations are not only unpleasant but can also be dangerous. If the person you’re confronting has a history of violence, then you may want to see if there’s someone else who is willing to talk to them about it instead and let them know that you intended to have some polite words with them.

It might be less embarrassing for everyone involved in this confrontation-including yourself, if you find another way of getting what you need out of the situation, such as having someone like a store clerk say something on your behalf rather than doing so yourself.

If someone is bothering you, find an excuse to leave as soon as possible

When you are bothering someone else, the first thing to do is find an excuse to leave.

1. Find excuses like, “I have a meeting,”; “My phone’s about to die;” or–if you’re feeling brave and don’t mind confrontation–“Can I ask what your problem with me might be?”
2. Try not to ignore them completely, but keep it short by making one of these statements: “Excuse me,” or if they are in front of you on the sidewalk, say politely, ‘Step aside please.'”

It may feel rude at times, but nobody likes being bothered! If someone doesn’t respect that boundary, then make sure you set up boundaries for yourself as well.”

To sum up,

You may find yourself in a situation where you need to ignore people. This can be difficult if the person is someone close or your boss, but it doesn’t have to be! It’s possible to politely avoid conversation with those around you without being rude. If this sounds like something you’d struggle with, we’re here for you! Our team of experts is ready and waiting to partner with you on creating an effective plan that will help reduce social anxiety and increase productivity at work. Start by following these tips below when appropriate to not encourage more conversations (and potential awkwardness).