Stress and burnout prevention expert reveals how to get good at small talk and navigate office life

A woman has revealed how to master small talk and how to hate it less. Nina Nesdoly, 28, shared her tips and tricks to improve small talk - including having an item that people can comment on and not giving single-word answers to questions. She suggested wearing stand-out lipstick, having a funky item and donning statement jewellery. She claims small talk is a way for employees to develop meaningful conversations and is considered an "important part of relationship building". She suggests using topics like the weather, weekend plans and an item of clothing someone is wearing to make small talk. Nina, a work stress and burnout prevention expert, from Ottowa, Canada, said: "When I first really started working I had some experiences that made me realise that small talk was a skill that I was lacking. "I was very much an introvert so small talk was not my go-to but I wanted to work my interpersonal skills. "Some of the tips that I turn to consistently is like having a 'wotsit' - an object or unusual part of your outfit for people to comment on - like having a model brain on your desk. "When I am often in meetings, I make sure that it is visible in the background for Zoom talks. Which will then open up a conversation about why it is there. "Or just wearing something like a piece of jewellery or a watch for the guys, just something where people can be like 'that is really cool, I really like that' and that can spark a conversation." Nina - who is studying for a PhD in management at the University Concordia - said another great tip to improve small talk is not giving single-word answers. She said: "Have responses ready to some common questions that give a little more information than just a single answer. "If someone asks 'where are you from?' instead of just saying 'Ottowa' and stopping there, depending on the conversation and what I know about that person, the season, I might say 'I am from Ottowa, I live near the Rideau Canal, I love it because in the winter I go out and skate before work.' "That will give the other person a little more information about me so there is something for them to respond to. "If I just say Ottowa, they are like 'cool where is that?' depending on what they know about Canadian geography." Finally, Nina said that if you are stuck in a conversation with someone, it is always best to "mirror back" what the other person is saying - instead of being like "oh yeah me to" with someone She said: "If you are stuck in a conversation, you're not sure what they are talking about or what to ask people about next, just mirroring back a little bit about what they said, so you get some more information from them goes a long way. "So if you were in a conversation with someone who just said, Ottawa, when you asked where they're from, you would say Ottawa, and just give them a chance to elaborate until they give you enough information that you can pick up on a topic and start a conversation with them." Nina said the reason some are scared or fear small talk is because it doesn't come naturally for some people. She said: "I think for those of us who ran a little bit more on the introverted end of things, or who it just doesn't feel very natural. "There's a couple of things it might be intimidation, it can also be not knowing how to do it. "I know that sounds weird, but we talk about small talk and interpersonal skills, we often treat these like these are things for the extroverts. And I really believe that small talk is just one part of interpersonal skills. "So it's something that you can learn. And that was a big shift for me to say, 'yeah, OK, I might not be the most extroverted person.' "I might like to spend three hours reading by myself, but I can learn skills that are going to make it more comfortable." Top tips for mastering small talk - Have something for people to comment on - Give detailed answers to common questions - Let people discover your similarities Best topics to make small talk - The weather - Where you're from - Having a funky item in your background or on your desk - Wearing jewellery - Wearing your favourite item of clothing - Personal anecdote from the past few days