This is a big problem for me, especially at work.
I can do the small talk just fine when I want to. I can carry a conversation, I am generally interested in my coworkers and people I meet. And I even enjoy it in social situations.
What bothers me is when people try to talk to chat when I’m busy or focused on a task. If I’m zeroed in on a project and someone walks up to my desk, I have to actively rein in my distaste and try to have a civil conversation. If I’m on my 4th call in a row, I really struggle to get through the obligatory pleasantries at the beginning. Same thing when I’m out and about – sometimes I just want to _do_ my errand and I don’t want to talk to the cashier or the person in the aisle.
It feels like an unskippable cutscene getting in the way of my own life and I think the people I talk to sense that I am perturbed.
I don’t think this is a cute or quirky trait; I know that connecting with others is important and I want to have empathy for my coworkers and strangers. I just don’t care sometimes, but I wish I would.
Does anyone else feel this way? Any tips, or mindsets you try to have to make it easier?