How To Be Good At Small Talk (& Why It Matters)

It can feel daunting at the best of times to strike up a conversation with a stranger at a bus stop, or a colleague you don't know particularly well in a lift, but it is even more difficult when the majority of your face is covered with a mask. You might also find it increasingly challenging to find new things to say after nearly two years of everything being cancelled, but does it really matter if you miss out on these minor interactions? The Quicky speaks to a psychologist to find out why small talk is important for our mental health and wellbeing, and what you can do to get back into the chat with people you've known for years, or even random passers by on the street. CREDITS Host: Claire Murphy With thanks to: Elisabeth Shaw - CEO of Relationships Australia NSW who has worked for over 25 years as a clinical and counselling psychologist Producer: Claire Murphy Executive Producer: Siobhán Moran-McFarlane Audio Producer: Ian Camilleri Subscribe to The Quicky at... https://mamamia.com.au/the-quicky/ CONTACT US Got a topic you'd like us to cover? Send us an email at [email protected] GET IN TOUCH: Feedback? We’re listening! Call the pod phone on 02 8999 9386 or email us at [email protected] Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Just by reading or listening to our content, you’re helping to fund girls in schools in some of the most disadvantaged countries in the world - through our partnership with Room to Read. We’re currently funding 300 girls in school every day and our aim is to get to 1,000. Find out more about Mamamia at mamamia.com.au Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.