My Favorite Way To Deal With Emotionally Difficult People

Most of us have one of these in our lives. Maybe more. Heck, to someone else we may be that difficult person. We all have different personalities and they mesh differently with others. However, there do seem to be some folks out there that almost seem to get joy out of creating discord in the world. Inevitably, we will have to deal with them either at work, at home, or in the world at large.

It's so easy to begin to dread interacting with some of these people. Often, we can't avoid them--especially if they are a boss or a family member. But thankfully, I've found something that has been truly helpful when it comes to interacting with difficult people.

Learn to manage your own emotions first. Obviously, we can't just flip a switch as if we are AI and become "un-affectable." We're human beings. We feel--even when we don't want to feel. But, with mindfulness practice and awareness, and maybe even therapy, we can learn to deal with them better.

When you're in a stronger place and in touch with, and thus better able to control, your own emotions, you're less likely to react to someone else's. And bonus? When you remain calm, there's a better chance they may calm down, too.

From this point, it's much easier to begin finding some kind of common ground with this person that can lead to a much better interaction.