When someone asks “How are you?”, they usually do not need a full report. They are offering a small opening. A useful answer is short, true enough, and easy to respond to.
Use feeling + detail + return
- Feeling: “Pretty good.”
- Detail: “I finally finished that presentation.”
- Return: “How about you?”
Put together, it becomes: “Pretty good. I finally finished that presentation, so I can breathe again. How about you?” The detail is ordinary on purpose. Ordinary details are easy to continue.
Match the detail to the relationship
You do not have to announce that everything is amazing. “A bit tired” sounds human when your tone stays calm. If you do not want to explain, use a soft boundary: “I’m okay — just a little distracted today.”
Follow the answer you receive
The return question can be as short as “And you?” What matters is what happens next. If your colleague says they had a difficult commute, ask about the commute. Do not jump to a prepared question about their weekend.
When the greeting is only a greeting
In a corridor, “How are you?” may simply mean hello. A brief “Good, thanks — you?” is enough. Save the detail for moments when the other person slows down, makes eye contact, or asks again.