Conflict Avoidance In Relationships: What Is It And Why Does It Happen?

While it may be challenging when faced with how to deal with someone who avoids conflict, it is possible, so consider all the things you know about your partner and keep learning more. Avoiding conflict may harm your relationship because it may feel like your bond isn’t real. This can be stressful when you can’t talk to your partner about everything and work out differences or talk about your differing opinions. Moreover, it may take you being understanding to them, even when you don’t want to be, especially if they were trying to protect your feelings by not arguing with you about a topic or event.

• A 2021 study, for instance, analyzed same-sex relationships and how they managed conflict during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Akismet is a SPAM protection service provided by Automattic Inc.
• You may talk to others for more help or consider therapy.

Boundaries are the limits and rules you set for yourself and others in your interactions. They reflect your values, preferences, and expectations and help you define what is acceptable or unacceptable for you. Boundaries help individuals establish limits and protect their emotional and physical well-being. Without boundaries, individuals may not feel safe or secure in their relationships or environments. Conflict resolution is a way for two or more parties to find a peaceful solution to a disagreement among them. When a dispute arises, often the best course of action is assertive communication that resolves the disagreement while maintaining a respectful relationship.

Be an active listener.

Speaking to a qualified therapist can help you learn how to better manage your negative emotions. You can work together on resolving conflicts more productively. Being aware of how your emotions impact you can help you gain a greater understanding of yourself and others.

For example, consider the differing testimony of witnesses that all see the same car accident. When you are face-to-face with someone who is being difficult, your first instinct may be to respond in anger or frustration. However, research https://ecosoberhouse.com/ shows that practicing empathy can help foster a sense of connection. Although it takes work, when you actively listen to someone and try to understand what they are going through, it can help to de-escalate the situation.

What is conflict avoidance behavior?

And whether you view the recently documented phenomenon of “quiet quitting” as destructive slacking or healthy boundary setting, it can manifest as avoidance of hard conversations and negotiations about workload. There can be legitimate reasons for avoiding conflict, such as the need to break off an abusive relationship. But in many cases, interpersonal conflict resolution could help repair a relationship, to the benefit of all involved, or end it with less pain. Through a better understanding of conflict avoidance, we can become more comfortable with interpersonal conflict resolution at work and in our personal lives. Researchers argue that personality disorders are primarily genetic neurological conditions (Lester & Godwin, 2021) that foster negative patterns of behavior that can damage relationships.

Instead of trying to sedate emotions like anger, sadness, or fear, try looking at them through the lens of self-compassion, and allowing yourself to see your negative thoughts with empathy. Similarly, if you’re more comforted by smells, you can keep an essential oil on hand to take a quick whiff of when you’re feeling anxious. If you’re a visual person, for example, you can relieve stress by closing your eyes and imagining soothing images. Rehearse concise points you’d like to get across to a boss or colleague so you’ll feel confident when addressing them. Disagreeing with someone doesn’t necessarily mean “fighting.” Keep in mind that it’s not about blaming the other person or proving who’s right and wrong in a given situation.

Reframe confrontation

Goals are important, but so is maintaining positive relationships with co-workers. Promote collaboration whenever possible to find creative solutions to problems. If you can’t generate a win-win idea, you can always fall back on compromise.

Tell your spouse that you have noticed their hard work and that you are proud of them. This may be exactly what they need to hear to know that you aren’t like others in their past. An individual may have been hurt in the past, whether when they were growing up or in other relationships, and this has caused them to keep their mouth closed when they have a problem or have a different opinion.