Youve got problems, Ive got advice.
This advice isnt sugar-coatedin fact, its sugar-free, and may even be a little bitter.
Welcome to Tough Love.
This week we have someone who talks too much and wants some help to stop.
I simply want to give you the tools it’s crucial that you enrich your damn lives.
If for whatever reason you dont like my advice, feel free tofile a formal complaint here.
Now then, lets get on with it.
Hey Patrick,
I have control issues that manifest in an annoying way: I talk too much.
Silence makes me anxious so I babble, babble, babble…
I know when Im doing it, and in my head Im saying Shut the fuck up!
But most times I just cant stop.
I need tools to stop this.
Theres a feather for your cap.
No, dont go tell people about your new feather.
Its nice, but be quiet and listen to me for a minute.
You say silence makes you anxious, but Im assuming you mean silencearound other people.
To be honest, nobody likes awkward silences.
So you fill the void with your own rambling.
But good on you for wanting to fix it, Babbs.
Heres what you do:
Practice saying nothing.
This will be harder than it sounds.
Join in on group conversations and do nothing but listen with your mouth shut.
Take mental notes on what others are saying and not what you want to say.
Respond to questions directed at you with one sentence answers, then go back to listening.
Let the silence come and see what happens.
Turn conversations into a game.
No [insert treat here] for you!
Brevity is the soul of wit, Babbs, so dont be a dummy.
When in doubt, bow out of a conversation when your anxiety gets the best of you.
Itll take some time to break your bad habits, so stay vigilant.
