It might be difficult to “grin and bear it” while dealing with problematic individuals. Even when you are not with them, the memory of a particularly terrible person or encounter might stay in your mind. Your mental health may begin to suffer if you avoid such contacts.
We frequently have to interact with difficult people, such as at work, whether we want to or not. However, there are a few things we can do to decrease the effect they have on us. Here’s the dirt on unpleasant people, how to identify them, and how to handle challenging individuals – both at work and outside of it.
What Makes Someone Challenging?
Everyone has a unique personality type and set of peculiarities. Personality conflicts by themselves don’t lead to problematic partnerships. Interpersonal connections are often ruined by inadequate communication, a lack of empathy, or criticism.
Communication problems
It’s possible that they never listen to you when you speak or that they continuously talk over you. They might be very harsh, indirect, or passive-aggressive. Whatever it is, communicating with them is never simple. And once you do, you’ll never feel good about how the talk turned out. Any relationship may suffer from poor communication.
Absence of empathy
Some people never seem to have anybody else’s best interests in mind. They might be extremely difficult to manage because of their lack of empathy. They could struggle to comprehend the feelings or situations of others. These folks can come out as cold and heartless.
Criticism
Some of the hardest individuals to be around are those that are very critical. It could seem that nothing and nobody satisfies their demands. Unfortunately, a highly critical person’s remarks hurt more the closest they are to you. In interpersonal interactions, this may be very unpleasant.
How Can You Tell if Someone is Challenging?
It would be much more convenient if difficult people walked around advertising their unpleasantness. But even though they don’t have flashing neon signs on their bodies, they do emit some distinct warnings. Here are 11 ways to spot a tough person:
- They insist on having things their their way
- They demean you or insult you
- They leave you out of important conversations
- They always have an answer for everything
- They struggle to control their emotions.
- People seem to avoid them
- They display poisonous tendencies, such being choosy, domineering, or gossiping
- They second-guess everything you say or doing
- Their actions in both public and private settings differ
- You don’t feel comfortable with them
- Severe codependency, extreme jealousy, or other relationship red flags are shown by them.
How Do You Not Let a Difficult Person Affect You?
There’s a cliché that as you change, so do others. Working on ourselves first is the surest method to make sure things proceed the way we want them to. After all, it’s quite hard for just one person to get into an argument.
With that in mind, the first thing to do when faced with a challenging person is to look inside. Understanding why you’re affected by them can help you determine the best way to handle their behaviour.
1. Pay attention to how you react
What emotions does this person’s actions evoke in you? Do you feel annoyed, offended, or dismissed? Being able to put words to your emotions aids in bringing you out of reactivity and into curiosity, which is a much more fruitful (and less volatile) state of mind.
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Remain composed
Even when dealing with a challenging individual, blowing out on them typically doesn’t help. Frequently, they’ll make you seem as if you were just “overreacting” by using your response—whether it was warranted or not—to rally support.
When you find yourself getting exasperated with someone, start by taking one or more deep breaths. Don’t feel obligated to talk to them right away. It’s OK to pause, reflect, and continue once you feel more grounded.
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Engage in personal inner work
People can annoy us at times because they make us think of ourselves. Their flaws will seem unbearable if we are already irritated, whether it be with ourselves or because of our own issues.
Working with a coach has been extremely beneficial to me in navigating challenging circumstances. It provides me the chance to depersonalise what’s occurring and determine if there is a fundamental disagreement that has nothing to do with that particular individual. Additionally, it’s helpful to have someone confirm if the other party is being difficult in reality.
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How Do You Handle a Challenging Person?
The fact is, in life, we’re always going to encounter difficult people. But we can arm ourselves to handle them when we comprehend how their actions and attitudes affect us. Here are strategies to cope with challenging people:
- Take heed of them
- Step into their shoes
- Respect each of your requirements.
- Put comedy to use
- In case of emergency, expel
- Build a buffer
- Exercise self-care.
Last Thoughts
Nobody enjoys dealing with challenging individuals, but it doesn’t have to destroy your day, your week, or your job. While there is often nothing we can do to influence their actions, we can alter our own reactions and reduce their impact on us.
We might also learn to be more receptive to debate and disagreement since not all conflict is fundamentally harmful. You may feel more secure if you learn how to handle challenging talks and welcome constructive debate. Who knows, though? A buddy may be found in the most unexpected of places.
