That’s is a really great question, recognizing that you need to find a way to deal with conflict better is a very healthy realization. Thank you for asking this! As much as we try and avoid conflicts with the people we care about, unfortunately disagreements happen.
After a argument, you may feel angry, sad or really any other kind of emotion, and that’s completely normal. As not all conflicts are the same, it might be helpful to determine what happened during the argument that made you feel upset. Do you not think the other person is listening to you? Or is something else upsetting you? Your emotions are there for a reason, and finding out why you’re feeling whatever you’re feeling can be very valuable.
It might also be helpful to talk about how you’re feeling with your friends and family in times of conflict. Communicating with your loved ones is not only healthy, but can help ease tensions between you and them. Depending on the situation, speaking calmly about your feelings takes a lot of effort when you’re really upset, but it might also lead to a better conclusion than other, more confrontational, ways of handling conflict.
At any time before or after a conflict, it is also important to take care of yourself. This might mean talking to a trusted friend or family member who was not involved with the conflict, listening to music, going for a walk or doing anything else that you think will relax you.
But no matter what happens, it’s normal to feel upset when you’re not getting along with your friends or family. If you need to talk to someone please feel free to text us at (587) 333-2724 or access our online chat on our website. You can also call us at (403) 264-8336 at any time. Our peer support hours (where you get to talk to another teen) are also available on our website. Any of our volunteers here would be happy to talk to you about anything that you want.
