Asking Eric: How do I support a friend grieving a tragic situation?

Strengthening your relationships with others can help with preventing conflict. When you have a strong connection with someone, it can be easier to focus on the problem and work together to find a solution rather than assuming the other person is at fault. People are more likely to feel empathy toward people who are similar to them. You might feel more inclined to empathize with and help someone who looks like you, behaves like you, shares your goals, or experiences similar hardships. Unfortunately, this can lead to empathy biases when it comes to differences in factors like race, religion, or culture. If you’re overly focused on how other people perceive you, you might hesitate to be forthcoming.

Ask for time

Remember that your nonverbal cues are also conveying messages to people around you. If you’re sitting with your arms crossed and looking away from the other person, they might take that as a sign that you don’t want to talk. If you know you disagree with someone, you might find yourself mentally discrediting their words as they speak.

Conflict in Friendships Can Lead to Growth

Then, ask questions to make sure each side understands what the other person thinks, feels, and wants. If your friend surprises you with their concern, you are allowed to ask for some time to process this new information. “No one wants to hear that what they’re doing is not good enough,” Jackson says. “Ask yourself, ‘If this goes wrong, do I really have the capacity to tolerate that?

Best Medical Alert Systems of 2024 Chosen by Testers

You have the right to express your feelings, opinions and wants. If you are required to deal with a difficult individual, one of the most important rules of thumb to keep your cool. The less reactive you are to provocations, the more you can use your better judgment to handle the situation. When how to deal with someone who avoids conflict you disagree with someone, communicating can become tough. During a difficult conversation, you can get caught up in your own emotions rather than focusing on the problem at hand. Communicating clearly can help prevent a minor disagreement from becoming something bigger than it needs to be.

Tip 4: Improve emotional intelligence

• Low empathy can also lead you to believe that the people around you are too sensitive.
• If you want to have a constructive discussion, you need to stick to one issue at a time.
• Your friends might have follow-up questions, and together you can navigate what is and isn’t on the table.
• Other studies show that empathy levels in medical students either increase or remain unchanged.
• When you avoid the slightest disagreement, you’re compromising your true feelings and storing up frustration that can end up negatively affecting your health.

• Both parties should be informed about the talk ahead of time, and both need to be willing to engage in the discussion.
• This requires you to reflect on your own emotional state as well as practice being open with others.
• When your friend is laughing at a joke, you experience their amusement.
• Learning how to confront someone assertively won’t happen overnight.