Annoying people – they stretch our patience like an elastic band. Here are some good tips for dealing with them!
Sometimes we come across people who seem to dislike us for no good reason. It is, as if, they just love making things awkward for us. These people can be challenging to even the most patient person. They can drain us of our energy or foster anger within us. Any ideas that might help should be considered.
1. Remind yourself that sometimes we haven’t a clue about what’s going on in other people’s lives. Some people are genuinely not at their best.
2. Many people are not blessed with warm personalities. Flexibility is not one of their strengths Their words or actions may not be personal.
3. Remain mannerly, friendly and polite. Meeting rudeness with rudeness only doubles the rudeness, and doesn’t make you feel better.
4. Apply empathy. Try to step into the shoes of the unfriendly person and imagine the world from their perspective. By reaching out to people, offering our help, support or encouragement, we can potentially transform relationships.
5. Loving the lovable is easy. Loving those who seem unlov- able is a challenge. But science confirms that reaching out in compassion helps you and the person at the receiving end. Kindness can be a precursor to solutions.
6. If you have been treated harshly by someone, all you can do is communicate this to them. You have no control over how they will respond. You may have to accept that they will not even meet you halfway. Remember that such intransigence is ultimately doing them more harm than it is doing you.
7. Forgiveness sets us free. It’s hard but it’s worth working on it.
8. Sometimes we cannot fix things. We can only make the best sense of the situation and move on. If you have genuinely tried to get on with the person to no avail, you may have to work at moving on. Talking and thinking about it less will help. Reminding yourself that you need to do this will make it easier.
9. Sometimes we may be part of the problem. Maybe, our words or actions were misinterpreted by an overly sensitive person. We may have to investigate this possibility.
10. If the person is really upsetting you to the degree that it affects the quality of your life, you may need to get professional advice on how to handle the specific situation.
(C) Shane Martin
Don’t miss my show in the Hawk’s Well theatre, Sligo on Friday 26th January. Tickets are selling fast and are available on this link
