People you love have a way of pushing your buttons. Whether it’s a fight with a sister, a parent who won’t listen or a spouse who thinks they know everything, here are a few ideas on what to do when someone you love pisses you off.
1. Stay calm
Getting upset will only make things worse. If you start fighting and arguing with them, emotions will rise and that’s when feelings get hurt and things you don’t really mean get said. Plus, you’ll usually end up getting nothing accomplished. Even if they are yelling at you, just stay calm and don’t let your emotions get out of control. It will make a world of difference.
2. Tell them how you feel
They might not even realize they pissed you off. It might seem obvious to you with your body language or lack of communication, but not everyone picks up on those things so easily. Calmly tell them how what they did made you feel and see if that helps at all.
3. Try something different
If you have a history of fighting with this person or them always pissing you off, maybe there is something you can do to help the situation? A simple change in the way you think about them could be enough, or maybe you need to do something different. For example: if they are always asking for money and never pay you back, maybe you should stop lending it to them? Or, if they are always late to big events, maybe tell them it starts earlier than it actually does? There’s no need to get upset, just try something different and see if that works.
4. Give yourself some space
Pushing the issue when one or both of you is pissed off usually isn’t a good idea. Even though you might want to talk about it right away and just get it dealt with, sometimes it’s best for you to take some time and think about the situation before saying something you’ll regret. Plus maybe someone will have a change of heart after having some time to think about the situation.
5. Don’t think about them
Easier said than done I know, but instead of staring at your phone waiting for them to text you back or thinking about all the things they have done in the past to piss you off, just do something else. Read a book, watch a movie, call a friend (and don’t vent), do some chores or workout. Anything to keep you and your mind busy and off the person who upset you.