Navigating Conflict

Written By Colēgia

All of us experience some form of conflict in our lives whether that be interpersonal or something that we're going through. The important thing is having the tools needed to navigate this conflict so that we're prepared when it arises. Today we want to take a look at some ways we can do this so we can handle it with grace.

Not Taking It Personally

One of the biggest things to keep in mind when we're navigating conflict is learning how to not take things personally. This can help us sidestep many potential conflicts we might encounter since most of the time it's not directly related to us. Sometimes we can be a bystander for someone else's emotions and we happen to get swept up in a conflict as a result. This can be when someone is having a bad day and the only means that they have of expressing it is by taking it out on another person verbally. With this in mind, just because we don't take something personally doesn't mean we need to be someone else's outlet for anger. Setting a boundary and saying that you understand what they feel while making some space can help you disengage from a difficult situation.

“One of the biggest things to keep in mind when we're navigating conflict is learning how to not take things personally.”

Letting Go

Not every argument is one worth having and some things are best worth letting go. It's important to ask yourself how much you value your point of view versus the relationship you have with someone. It's possible to express yourself authentically while also being diplomatic towards someone else but that may not always be reciprocated. In instances like these, you need to be aware of whether or not we're associating our thoughts with our identity since our ego can complicate things. Thoughts are malleable and what we feel today might not always be the case tomorrow which is okay. It's healthy to change our point of view in light of new information and we need this flexibility so that we can see things from another perspective. Letting go is more than just dropping a conflict, it's about seeing how we can re-frame conflict as well since we could also just be misunderstanding someone.

“Not every argument is one worth having and some things are best worth letting go.”

Focus On Understanding

A great approach to conflict is making a conscious effort to focus on understanding someone. All of us want to feel heard and conflict is often the result of our needs not being met or being misunderstood. The key here is to use empathy since it allows us to picture what things are like from someone else's point of view. This is especially powerful during conflict because it can give us better context as to why we think someone is being confrontational. They could be having a tough time in life or struggling to get by which allows us to humanize them more. Conflict is an element of communication and we need to understand how to handle it since it allows us to find peaceful solutions.

Colēgia

Colēgia

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