Are you a difficult person? If you’re honest with yourself, you can be difficult from time to time, right? The question is how do you deal with the chronically difficult people — you know, those who manage to get under your skin every time? Whether you’re managing a difficult person at work with a sense of entitlement, or conversing with a know-it-all customer, you can counteract their bitter aftertaste. It just takes practice – and patience. I know because I hear about these people all the time when I speak on “7 Magic Wands for Making Difficult People Disappear.”
The secret to bouncing back higher from what life throws at you – like dealing with difficult people – is discovering how to live, work, and (in some cases) love difficult people. Because in reality there will always be difficult people.
Have you ever noticed that an early-morning negative interaction with somebody you’d call a “difficult person” can set the tone for the entire day? Have you struggled to shake off a negative aftertaste and told yourself, “It’s not that big of a deal, just move on” but the feeling lingers? What can you do?
Difficult conversations mar your day because you become so hot and bothered you keep processing the emotions evoked by the interaction. To blunt the impact, save this processing for later.
How do you do that? By immediately stepping into a happy, funny, or positive environment. The next time you have lunch, or a short break, spend a few minutes reading the comics, having coffee with a co-worker, or calling your close friend to make plans for the weekend. I do realize you’re probably doing the work of five people and probably don’t even know what a “break” is anymore! Believe me, I do understand. Yet, in the midst of a more fun and positive setting, you’ll gain a new perspective for processing your negative emotions! Additionally, you can engage in an activity that distracts you so much (one that uses many brain cells) that pretty soon you won’t even be thinking about that difficult person! You’ll be so caught up in what you’re doing, you won’t have time to think about that individual as much.
When dealing with difficult people in the future, you’ll now have “practice” for learning to process your emotions later – if at all. Next thing you know, you’ll have counteracted the difficult person’s aftertaste, and you’ll be giving advice to others on dealing with difficult people! Nothing helps you feel better than knowing you’ve helped someone else. Good luck to you!
