Sometimes there seems to be no way out of the difficult situation. So, instead of continuing to think about unpleasant things, try to distract yourself. You can find something else to do; something that you enjoy, that gives you some satisfaction – like reading, drawing, playing a game or sport, stitching, cooking, watching TV. All these activities can take your mind off the problem. They have the added benefit of actually making you feel better about yourself and therefore about things around you. In fact this is a good technique to use when you sense that a fight is likely to occur.
See the other person’s point of view
One very important thing to remember is that it takes two hands to clap. In most situations of conflict the fault lies with both parties involved. So you need to accept that you don’t know everything about the situation – that yours may not be the only correct point of view. If you accept this, you will be able to see the situation from the other person’s point of view and perhaps understand things better. You may find that there were things you had no knowledge of or had misunderstood. You may even understand your own reactions and feelings more honestly and recognize if you have been unfair. Then you can actually start looking for solutions to the problem facing you.
Do something else
Sometimes there seems to be no way out of the difficult situation. So, instead of continuing to think about unpleasant things, try to distract yourself. You can find something else to do; something that you enjoy, that gives you some satisfaction – like reading, drawing, playing a game or sport, stitching, cooking, watching TV. All these activities can take your mind off the problem. They have the added benefit of actually making you feel better about yourself and therefore about things around you. In fact this is a good technique to use when you sense that a fight is likely to occur.
See the other person’s point of view
One very important thing to remember is that it takes two hands to clap. In most situations of conflict the fault lies with both parties involved. So you need to accept that you don’t know everything about the situation – that yours may not be the only correct point of view. If you accept this, you will be able to see the situation from the other person’s point of view and perhaps understand things better. You may find that there were things you had no knowledge of or had misunderstood. You may even understand your own reactions and feelings more honestly and recognize if you have been unfair. Then you can actually start looking for solutions to the problem facing you.