Do you thrive in conflict?
Conflict is not an option in relationships. One of the best ways to not only survive but thrive in conflict is to grow in resiliency.
What does it mean to be resilient?
Resilience is defined by Miriam-Webster dictionary as: a. capable of withstanding shock without permanent deformation or rupture. Or b. tending to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change.
Here are three simple steps to grow in resiliency.
Stay curious of your own emotions, thoughts and behavior. Being curious about your experience is the first step to self-awareness.
Try to understand and stay curious as to how your emotions, thoughts and behaviors affect your relationships and perceptions. This opens you up to being able to not only understand yourself, but to start being curious about other’s experience as well.
Develop habits of assertiveness and receptiveness to experiencing discomfort personally and with other people. This will deepen your understanding in conflict and your ability to address conflict in real time instead of avoiding it, prolonging the pain and discomfort.
So if you want to build trust, resolve conflict and deepen intimacy with your partner, please give these a try. You will probably experience the by-products of more resolution and a better sense of well-being.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Please leave a comment and I’ll get back to you! If you want to process this in your own counseling journey, you can start here.