Stress Management: 3 Rules for Dealing with Difficult People

Seems like more and more they are all around us. You know who Im talking about - all those difficult people who seem to cross our path everyday.

Whether we associate with them, work with them, or, even worse, live with them, they can drain the life out of your day if you let them.

3 Rules for dealing with difficult people

Rule 1 - You cannot, will not, and should not even try to change them. The only winnng move, if you cant avoid them altogether, is to change your responses to them. Remember the three things we are always responsible for, our attitudes, our choices and our actions.

Rule 2 - In order to successfully deal with difficult people, you have to play the I can expect that game. What is the I can expect that game? To play the this game, you have to expect difficult people act exactly like difficult people. The trap we fall into is that we expect everyone to play by the same nice rules (and/or our rules) and then are shocked, surprised and hurt when the difficult people show up and act the way they do.

Playing the I can expect that game with difficult people allows us to do at least three things:

we can anticipate and plan for their behavior we are not surprised by their behavior we can resond to their behavior, instead of reacting

Rule - You and I might be someone else's difficult person. Ouch, I know, not us right? At the same time, it's always good to check our own behavior too.

Visit SecretsofGreatRelationships.com for tips and tools for creating and growing a great relationship. You can also subscribe to our f*r*e*e 10 day e-program on how to enrich your relationship today, from relationship coach and expert Jeff Herring. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_Herring

Related Links:

What is stress?

Stress (roughly the opposite of relaxation) is a medical term for a wide range of strong external stimuli, both physiological and psychological, which can cause a physiological response called the general adaptation syndrome, first described in 1936 by Hans Selye in the journal Nature.
An emotionally disruptive or upsetting condition occurring in response to adverse external influences and capable of affecting physical health which can be characterized by increased heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, muscular tension, irritability and depression. Stress does not cause migraine but can be a migraine "trigger".
A condition in which the organism is subjected to unfavourable or unfamiliar environmental conditions, resulting in some alteration in normal physical functioning. Short-term stress can often be overcome. Long-term stress can reduce resistance to disease and parasites, inhibit self-healing processes, and reduce life-span.