Dealing With Conflict Even When you Don’t Want To

Conflict happens at some point in everyone’s life. Whether it’s a serious form of conflict such as not being able to agree on the financial aspect of your married life or something less serious such as not being able to decide where to eat; conflict happens at home and at work. It’s not fun to deal with conflict. In fact, some of us are horrible at doing so. Here’s some advice from the pros on adequately and effectively handling disagreements when they arise.

Be Kind

No disagreement is worth losing your temper and being anything but kind. In fact, it actually makes it harder for some people to be rude to you and treat you poorly when you are being so kind to them. It’s a simple and effective way to diffuse a negative situation and work toward an acceptable agreement with ease.

Stay Patient

It’s not always easy to stay patient in the wake of conflict, but you have to do it. Staying patient will allow you to remain calm and in control. It will be a big test, but the more patient you are, the more the resolution of your conflict will satisfy your desires. Additionally, it’s far easier to make your point, get things done your way and see positive results when you are calm and patient in the face of adversity.

Walk Away from Aggression

This might infuriate the other party in the moment, but when everyone is calm again, simply explain that you don’t deal with people when they become aggressive. When they are able to contain their own emotions and anger, you’re happy to speak with them again.

Agree to Disagree

Not every conflict ends in agreement. However, that doesn’t mean it has to go on forever. If you can agree to disagree, you’ll find that you’re far happier and that the entire issue seems like much less of a big deal in the long run.