How to get along with difficult people - stay calm, pick your battles and take control
As tempting as it might be to just make a voodoo doll and have done with it, do the mature thing and use these 5 easy ways to deal with those you struggle to get on with
Even if you're the friendliest, most chill person alive, there will be someone, at some stage in your life who is almost impossible to get along with. While you may never learn to like this person - be they teacher, classmate, boss, or colleague - you can hopefully learn to live with them.
Here are five top tips to stop difficult people from getting you down.
1. Stay calm
Humans haven’t changed much from our caveman days – when confronted with an “enemy”, it’s natural for our adrenaline to kick in, making us panicky, defensive, or angry. However, this could lead you to do or say something you’ll later regret, and could especially land you in trouble if that person is your parent or teacher.
Try to prevent knee-jerk reactions by taking a deep breath and counting to 10. Take the time to listen to whatever the other person is saying, because sometimes, all people want is to feel heard. True, they may not be going about it the right way, but listening can still help defuse the situation.
2. Pick your battles
Try to decide when someone is worth your time and patience, and when it’s best to simply walk away. If it’s possible to keep your distance from the person in question, then do so. Don’t feel guilty about putting your own well-being first, and cutting off contact with someone you know is going to upset you.
Of course, there are some difficult people we simply can’t avoid. In that case, think about whether you’ll gain something from them in the long term; if it’s the professor who’s marking your assignment, the boss who decides whether or not to promote you, or the financially generous relative, then putting up with them may be a necessary evil.
3. Change your perspective
When someone is being rude to you, it’s very difficult to see things from their point of view – but it’s still important to try. Think about what it is that the person actually wants from you, and why the situation may be difficult for them.
