(GivenUs.com) – Passive-aggressive relationships can be some of the most challenging to manage. You may think the other person is just being petty when they refuse to directly address the problem but go out of their way to let you know they have one. It can be frustrating, but the truth is that passive-aggressive people aren’t always aware of their patterns or why they engage with you in this way.
Coping with passive-aggressive behavior can require a few strategies if you want to maintain the relationship. Having a plan in place in these relationships can help manage your own sense of frustration. Here a few tips for coping with these relationships.
Stay Calm
Instead of acting from a place of frustration, it’s best to stay calm. Responding in anger or returning their passive-aggressive behavior with some of your own will only make the situation worse. Practice a pause before responding.
Find Compassion
Remember that many passive-aggressive people don’t know they are this way. They’re simply trying to get a need met with a learned pattern of behavior. Finding compassion for their struggle to communicate could help YOU communicate without responding out of anger or frustration.
Get Clarity
If you can see the pattern of passive-aggressive behavior, see if you can get to the bottom of it. If you understand the message they’re trying to communicate, ask if you’re understanding the situation correctly. Get clarity on the problem, and you will be that much closer to finding a solution for it — or at least clearing the air between you.
Look For Solutions
If you have good enough communication skills to avoid passive-aggressive behavior and to spot it in others, look for a solution to solve the problem rather than a way to challenge the passive-aggressive behavior. If you can find a solution for the problem, the behavior will likely change. This could help maintain the relationship.
Passive-aggressive behavior isn’t easy to deal with, but with a little consideration, you can learn how to deal with people who use it without, well, losing it. Stay calm and collected, tap into your compassion, get clarity and look for solutions. While no one likes to deal with passive-aggressiveness, a little kindness could go a long way to ending it.
~Here’s to Your Success!
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