difficult conversations

The Neuroscience Behind Introversion and What It Means For You In Conflict

Avoidance is a common response to dealing with conflict. It makes sense really, it’s the brain’s way of keeping us safe. Conflict sets off our stress response system (you’ve probably heard of this as fight, flight, freeze, or please), which has major implications for how we proceed in the situation. The problem with avoiding a conflict is that it’s typically a short-term solution, and may make things worse in the long run. It has more of a chance of getting worse than it does going away, so the sooner we undertake the conversation, the sooner we can come to a resolution.

Avoiding a Difficult Conversation? 5 Suggestions to Make Conflict a Constructive Experience

Six Challenges of Difficult Conversations

Some conversations are more difficult than others, and there are generally six reasons this is the case. Understanding where your challenges lie is a helpful first step in making the conversation easier. We can’t avoid conflict, but we can look at the source of the difficulty to help find more productive responses to get it resolved.