For example, if you are in your cubicle at work and the office’s chatty Cathy or Carl won’t leave you alone, start shuffling through papers and mumbling about what reports need to be finished. This will tell your unwelcome guest that it is time to leave. You are obviously too busy for a chat. As with most of the tactics detailed in this guide, be sure to gauge the situation. Sometimes, negative body language can produce negative responses. If the person you are dealing with is quick to violence or anger, another route might be preferable.
If you are at a crowded party, excuse yourself by calling to a friend. You can then tell the person you’re trying to escape from that you need to speak with the other person. Then you can walk away without hurting anyone’s feelings. Ideally, there would be another person to go talk to. You don’t want to walk away and then go stand in the opposite corner alone. You might also decide on a signal with someone else before entering a party or other function. For example, your office party is tonight. You are going with a coworker that you like. You know that the party will be stale and that you’ll inevitably have to talk to people you don’t like. Decide on a signal that will tell the other person you are ready to leave. Make sure it is subtle. Tug on your sleeves. Brush your hair back. Your signal should be clear to the other person, but not draw attention to your actions. [3] X Research source
The traditional “out of office” email automated response is now a commonly used tool in most business settings. If you know that you are going to be away from your email for a period of time and don’t want to receive dozens of emails about the same issues, simply set up an automated response with text like: “I am currently either out of office or unavailable for [insert period of time]. I will respond to messages in the order that it is received when I return to the office on [insert date of return]. ” This way you don’t have to return dozens of emails and everyone will know exactly what to expect.
There are even apps that can help you avoid people. An app called Cloak collects geo-positioning data from other social medias like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and then tells you if someone you are trying to avoid is nearby. [10] X Research source It is not foolproof, but it can be a good tool especially if you’re trying to avoid a person who uses social media a lot.
In many cases, this move can backfire. If you have a person who accepts no blame for their relationship with you, they may try to irritate you into talking. You’ll have to persevere or try something else. [12] X Research source
