Resolving Conflict With Grace and Dignity

If you love conflict, you need more help than I can give you. However, if you’re like me – and most other people – you probably don’t love conflict. Whether it’s your boss, your kids, your spouse, or your friends, conflict can really make you feel down, upset and stressed. Dealing with it is never easy, but there are ways to make the process of dealing with it simpler and less stressful.

Get it Over With

Don’t avoid conflict, whatever you do. No, conflict is not fun. However, if there is conflict between you and someone else, don’t avoid the situation. Don’t avoid the person. Talk about it as soon as possible and get it over with. It’s not going to be easy, but the faster you handle the situation, the less stress you will feel. It’s like ripping off a band aid; do it quickly and get the pain over with and move on to a happier place as soon as possible.

Don’t Engage

If you’re in an argument with someone and their behavior worsens, don’t engage them. Walk away, tell them you’ll talk again when they’ve calmed down. Whatever you do, don’t make the situation worse by overreacting or engaging by yelling or saying things you might later regret. Instead, keep your hateful thoughts to yourself because sometimes they’re just thoughts you have in the heat of the moment. Once they’re spoken, you can never really take them back.

Forget Being Right

It’s hard to give up a fight when you know you’re right, but sometimes there are things more important than being right. For example, if you’re argument is with a coworker or your boss, your job is probably more important than your ego. Your marriage and your relationship with your kids is also more important than your ego. Even if you are so right it’s glaringly obvious to everyone else in the world, just agree to disagree and move on for the sake of your relationships.

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