You are probably stuck at home way more than you would like due to the uncertainties of the pandemic. And that particular circumstance is no doubt causing a lot of stressful tension in the family dynamics. Whether you are a dad who now works from home, a mom who often does everything in the house, a teen who needs his or her space, and a kid who wants to enjoy life, your contribution to the family becomes challenging. And even during the best of times, it can be challenging to deal with your family’s inconsistencies and get along with their traits and behaviors. But no need to worry because there are still better ways that everyone in the family can do to keep peace and unity inside the home.
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Understand The Weight Of The Issue In A Given Situation
Now that you and your family are stuck in your house, you probably get into each others’ nerves more often. Every one of you somehow finds reasons to get more irritated at each other. Perhaps that is due to the unsolicited advice you acquire, or constant complaints about nothing, and things like that. That misunderstanding can escalate quickly into a massive fight if not handled correctly. To avoid that, the first thing to realize is the huge amount of possible conflict given in the situation. When the whole family understands the consequences of their actions and behaviors toward each other, they can practice conflict resolution. It opens an opportunity for everyone to learn new skills that are beneficial for family relationships.
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Apologize If Needed To Control The Conflicting Position
When it comes to resolving family conflicts, there are quite a few things you need to do first. That is to walk away from everyone, calm yourself down, and fix your thoughts before engaging in a conversation. That is because you never know what possible things might happen when you let your emotions out uncontrolled. There’s the tendency that you might spit out unnecessary and hurtful words, which is probably the most common thing that you will do. In case the damage has been done and you already emotionally blew up, at least find the courage to control the damage by apologizing first. It will calm everyone, and it will make your family more than willing to listen to what you have to say.
Address The Issue By Knowing How Everyone Feels
Some primary reasons family conflicts tend to overflow with hatred, anger, and aggression is because of judgments and accusations. That is pretty normal, though, because each family member often has a lot to say to everybody in the house. That is because everyone wants to explain themselves regardless if they are trying to be defensive. And that whole barrier that each of you is putting up adds more damage than resolution. It results in everybody not being able to express themselves equally. With that, no one becomes willing to listen. To avoid that, you must take a moment to ask the family member’s “what’s wrong.” That simple question does not only help in opening a meaningful conversation but allows everyone to become aware of each others’ feelings.
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Realize The Difficulty In Arguing With Someone Else’s Feelings
What you feel might not be the one your family understands. So the last thing you want to do to try and resolve a conflict is to look for your family’s existing emotional dilemma. Use it to get into their thoughts and feelings. Understand what makes them disappointed, irritated, or angry at the same time. Of course, you also need to deal with your emotional response like everybody does. But considering you understand the weight of the situation, try to be more tolerant. Be the bigger person, as what they say. Instead of validating your worth in the family, try and understand your loved ones’ emotional uproar. That way, you can work your way by arranging some better behavioral response suitable for the resolution of the family conflict.
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Try To Spend An Alone Time After The Family Conflict
Given that there is much emotional and mental exhaustion from the whole family conflict situation consider giving yourself alone time once it’s over. Not to excuse yourself from everyone, but to allow your emotional and mental health to heal. Stress is an inevitable thing that you can’t escape or control. However, you can address it by taking a moment to care for yourself. You can use a couple of hours to write things in your journal. You can also listen to soothing music, watch a movie, or sleep even for a couple of minutes. Honestly, there’s a lot of things that can help you fight stress. Once you feel that you are emotionally and mentally okay, you can now face your family without feeling awkward.
Family conflicts are stressful. But when you have an idea of how to address it, you’re good.