Life can be tough. It can be complex, and sometimes the people that you encounter can be challenging to communicate with. But even in moments of frustration, kindness will always prevail.
How to be Kind Even in Tough Situations:
1.) Take a deep breath before you respond. Use the breath to slow your words, control your body language, and let it flow through you calming your thoughts.
2.) Change your perspective. Maybe their fight isn’t really with you. Maybe they’re frustrated with the situation as a whole or maybe they have a whole separate inner battle surging through them. Maybe they’re having a bad day. Remember that patience is a virtue. If the tables were turned, would you hope someone would be patient and understanding with you?
3.) Ask questions. Questions are a very powerful tool in building healthy communication. Ask with the genuine intent of understanding.
4.) Choose your words wisely and from the heart. Don’t attack in response. Use positive and encouraging words in your conversation. Keep an open mind.
5.) Choose your battles. Sometimes you just need to give up and leave the fight. It may not be the time for the solution to present itself, it may need some sitting time. Or even in some cases, there is no solution.
6.) Allow them to have space to take responsibility for their own emotions. We can’t fix people, we can’t save people, and we can’t make people happy. We are each responsible for our own emotions and moods and we each deserve the room to move through them and process them on our own sometimes.
7.) Breathe again…and keep breathing. Breathing deeply will keep your heart rate down and help you stay in control no matter how tense a situation gets.
We cannot always control what happens in life or who we have to deal with but what we can control is our reactions and how we respond. This is what will set you apart, this is what will make you stronger, calmer, and happier. Discipline yourself to be kind in all situations.