Life is not easy. You have stress from work, family, money, everyday irritations, there are lots of things that make you want to shut the door on the world and be left alone, or scream at the next person who annoys you. This is normal and as long as you deal with stress properly it’s ok.
What is not ok, is when you yell at your friends or family because you’re in a bad mood. Instead, before you get angry, let the people around you know that you are unhappy and want to be left alone.
Not Getting Angry
When you get frustrated and angry, you should try not to make others feel bad. This isn’t always easy, as having your friends and family asking you to do things for them, and wanting to spend time with you, when all you want to do is be left alone, is annoying.
But you have realize that not everyone knows when you’re having a bad day. They may be a bit oblivious, especially when dealing with children, you may be hiding your frustrations very well, or they may have their own problems and not notice yours. So what can you do to make them realize you need alone time?
Tell them.
Explaining the Situation
When you’ve have a stressful day at work, have a headache, or simply need a bit of time to yourself, calmly ask for an hour or two, or a few hours of alone time. Don’t snap, demand or plead, just state it as a fact. Most people who care about you, will provide you at least some time to calm down, unless their is a big emergency that really does require your help.
In the case that you have to help out, by telling them you are not in the best of moods, they’ll understand why you aren’t exactly happy about helping, and should appreciate that you are at least trying to help.
On the other hand, if you don’t tell your friends and family why you are in a bad mood and just start snapping and yelling, it will lead to hurt feelings, arguments and increase your stress even more.
So for the sake of others, and yourself, if you’re not having a good day, and you don’t want to deal with people, politely ask them to leave you alone for a little while. They’ll appreciate the warning and a little later you can go and make it up with them.
Dan Clarke is a personal coach who helps people deal with career and business plans and problems, which often includes a lot of stress. For more personal advice you can visit his website, Get Motivated, Get Happy.
Avoiding Conflict: Give A Warning
