Do’s and Don’ts of Socializing

3- Offer to Help the Host
Helping the host keeps your hands busy and gives you something to focus on, which can reduce nervousness. It also gives you an easy conversation starter. For example, if you’ve offered to set up a temporary cocktail bar, it’s natural to start a conversation about drinks.

If the only person you know is the host, take on the role of their loyal assistant. Offer to set out food or pour drinks – anything that helps them while giving you something better to do than stand in a corner. This is a polite move and gives you a task. Even if the host doesn’t need any help, they might sense your anxiety and give you something to do.

To avoid staying the whole night helping the host, don’t spend all evening assisting them; this is called subtle avoidance behavior, meaning we might do something to avoid something unpleasant (like interacting with strangers). This is one of the communication mistakes. Help for about 10-20 minutes to warm up, then engage with the guests.

Disclaimer: The isolation of the pandemic gave many of us a newfound appreciation for simple forms of socialization, like getting together at a friend’s home. Although we might be more freely attending house parties, potluck dinners and casual living room gatherings to watch sports on the couch, that doesn’t give people free rein to behave however they’d like in someone else’s space. We asked etiquette experts to share some common rude behaviors when visiting someone else’s home ― and advice for avoiding them.

February 9, 2025 | 4:41 am