3 steps to deal with a stressful conversation

Life can be stressful, and even the most laid back people have moments when other people push their buttons!

Living in any kind of professional or personal relationship with other means we will have stressful conversations with one another. Sometimes they are about life-changing topics – like the status of a relationship, a pay rise, or health. Other days everything builds up, and we bring our own stress into what could be a fairly minimal conversation.

Can you relate? We shouldn’t avoid stressful conversations just because they’re uncomfortable. After all, without them what would change? It’s just a matter of changing how we approach these chats, so we can protect the relationship, and have something life-giving come out of the conversation.

The University of Illinois Extension put together this handy how-to guide on how to approach stressful conversations.

The steps are easy to remember:

1. Speak carefully

2. Listen attentively (sometimes you may have to swap, or practice a mix of these two!)

3. Respond accurately

When we follow these steps, our conversations are pro-active – even if it is stressful! And that means we can leave feeling empowered, vindicated and with action steps for everyone involved.

How can you practice these steps in your everyday life?

Do you avoid stressful conversations? Do you lash out, or become aggressive when you are confronted in a stressful conversation? Here’s what you need to do: Contact Colleen on 0434 337 245, Duncan on 0434 331 243 or Rachel on 0442 177 193 for a FREE 10 minute consultation on how we can best help you or book online.