Everybody has a different method for getting past a disagreement. Some of us want to move on and come to a resolution quickly, while others prefer to sleep on it.
Whichever approach you take, it’s critical to recognize the disagreement and resolve it in a way that minimizes the harm to your relationship. Here are five strategies to accept the hurt and shame and move on from a disagreement if you’ve ever found it difficult to move on.
Cool Off
Accept That It Happened
Be it an argument with a friend, a showdown with a colleague or a fight with a loved one, skipping the apology and starting over is not a good idea. Acknowledging the argument and letting the other person know that you understand where their hurt and anger is coming from goes a long way in dealing with things positively.
No Deep-Freeze Please
It’s easy to simply tune this person out till the anger goes away. Deep-freezing our emotions is a defense mechanism for dealing with hurt. But it’s not the best method. The anger or hurt only pents up inside making you bitter along the way.
Apologize
Life is not an ego game. It does not matter who is in the wrong if hurtful words were exchanged, apologize for the same first, and then come to the issue.
Work on triggers
Circle back to what triggered the argument and look at ways to completely eliminate the issue. But in the meantime, also work on the triggers that lead to the argument.
