Every day we face “people challenges.” We have to deal with condescending co-workers, the show-off mom on the PTA, the rude neighbor we have to live next to or the disorganized school office assistant.
We don’t have a choice- we didn’t choose to hire them, live near them or even see them, but we certainly have to maintain our composure when we get frustrated with them.
When thinking of difficult people, I have to deal with I automatically thought of the adults in my life, but honestly, we can also apply these actions when our children are being difficult.
If we can deal with difficult adults while flashing a smile, then certainly we should be able to do the same for our own children. After all, we made them. We didn’t get to choose who they are but we invested 9 months in their creation, so why wouldn’t we want to be fully invested in their growth?
Sometimes it’s hard to remember what it was like to be a child. We have high expectations from our children and expect them to want to be the best they can be but the truth is that they will not reach their potential if we do not help and guide them.
So how do we do it? How do we keep our composure and not blow up at these people? Here are some tricks to keep in mind then next time you feel like you’re about to lose your patience.
7 Ways to Deal with Difficult People
- Maintain your composure
- Be diplomatic
- Be proactive, not reactive
- Pick your battles
- Separate the person from the issue
- Don’t follow negativity, change to a positive environment
- Examine yourself- is the other person really the problem?
I’m not saying it‘s easy, but I think it’s worth a shot. If you can’t beat em – do not join them. Rise above and hopefully you will be a happier person in return.
Until next time,
Shaindy
