Everyone wants to be heard and acknowledged. Try not to interrupt and be patient to truly hear where is the other person coming from. Don’t think about what you’re going to say next.

Breathing helps with managing an overly emotional response in tense situations.  

Difficult behavior is usually a coverup for an unmet need. Try to find out the deeper reason behind someone’s obnoxious actions. 

Expressions such as “calm down” and “it’s nothing” are unhelpful and can worsen the difficult situation.  

Instead of evaluating and judging the situation, be curious to learn more.

Easier said than done, but try to keep away from reacting with anger to an angry person. Don’t mock or act with contempt. Show respect, calmness, and dignity. 

Avoid knee-jerk reactions. Space between yourself and the other person is a safe container to respond to it. A response is an emotionally mature behavior. A reaction is a stress-driven behaviour. 

Taking criticism with a grain of salt is easier when you dissociate the person and the behaviour. Don’t take criticism personally. Instead, try to understand it as coming out from the other person’s perspective. 

Keep an open mind to develop a different approach for every situation.  

After a challenging work clash, take some time to discuss what happened with a person you trust. Sharing impartially is a chance to calm down and tackle the challenge with a cool head.