8 Tips For Tolerating Someone You Just Don’t Like
One of the worst problems you may encounter in life can be meeting someone you don’t like. In fact, this can be so distressing that you might feel like escaping them altogether. Consequently, you can’t always get away from those you can’t stand when you want to. But it can be helpful to find ways to deal with these types of people.
Recognize Your Own Feelings
While you may be tempted to ignore your personal feelings in order to avoid discomfort, it’s often healthier to recognize them. After all, avoiding what really bothers you can cause more frustration than ever. Further, bottling up your emotions can only lead to angry outbursts later on. Instead of allowing someone to drive you crazy, it’s important to recognize your own emotions and let them go.
Keep a Healthy Distance
Since getting too close to someone you can’t stand can make your dislike worse, try keeping a healthy distance. You can do this by not taking anything the person says or does personally. Besides this, try not to get personal with him/her. If you’re able to, it may be necessary to find every way to avoid having any interaction with them at all.
Accept That You Can’t Like Everyone
The truth is that everyone probably has one person in this world they just don’t like. On the bright side, this means you’re not alone in your troubles. Rather than search for every way to get along with someone, accepting that you can’t do so can give you peace of mind.
Commit to Be Positive
Being positive might be the hardest thing to do when you encounter that one person you’d probably rather forget. But this might be the perfect time to commit to have a positive mindset. You can do this by seeing your situation as a challenge that will help you become a better person. For one, this could be the perfect opportunity to gain a higher level of patience and learn to accept other peoples’ differences. Accepting the differences of others can even make you feel as though the world’s a better place. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses, and this can make life more interesting.
Avoid Becoming Defensive
While being defensive can be a natural reaction to someone who wants to dominate you, it’s wise to realize this will only give him power over you. Instead of allowing bullies to steal your humanity, try to have inner peace. You can start practicing having a calmer mindset by doing yoga or meditation in your free time. Doing this can help you be ready for any negativity that will likely eventually be aimed at you again.
Know When to Get Involved
Sometimes the best solution to ending conflict is to never get involved in the first place. You can try to ignore her by focusing on reading a book or talking to someone who’s standing next to you. Indeed, keeping the peace may seem easy, but this isn’t always possible. For example, some bullies might provoke you until you can’t help but get angry. In these instances, it’s often better to speak up so the person you don’t like understands that their behavior is crossing your boundaries.
Communicate Calmly and Effectively
If you feel the need to communicate, it can be useful to do so in as calm a manner as possible. Again, without getting personal, you can tell the person how you feel. Keep in mind that making it all about them and their negativity will only provoke them further. For starters, try using “I” statements such as “I feel uncomfortable when you treat me this way, so can you please treat me this way instead.”
Stay in Control of Your Own Happiness
When someone tests your patience near the breaking point, it’s wise to understand that you’re in control of your personal happiness. Continuing to remind yourself of this can make it easier to control your emotions and avoid unnecessary conflict. In the end, this is your life, and you deserve to live it in the most positive way possible, even if some people are a challenge to be around.
Although being stuck with someone you don’t like can be a challenge, it’s important to remember that everyone probably feels this way towards other people. In fact, you might even be the target of someone else’s intense dislike and not even know it. Ultimately, seeing the positive side of every difficulty you face can make you a stronger person.
