Conflict.

Does the very idea cause your heart rate to elevate, your palms to sweat and a feeling of general unease? Or does a feeling of anticipation arise and the impending altercation brings with it an adrenaline rush?

Either response is rooted in the messages we received, explicitly or implicity when we were children. How we are conditioned is not something we could have controlled. What we are invited to do as adults is understand how our conditioning impacts our current interactions, both in our personal and professional lives.

Here are some reflection questions to consider when thinking about how to understand your relationship to conflict:

In what ways did your family engage in disagreements or fights?

How did you experience tension as a child?

What messages did you internalize about conflict? For example, did your family avoid outward displays of conflict? Did you witness yelling matches between the adults around you?

How were you expected to respond to conflict as a child?

What are the ways you respond to conflict now?

It may be that these responses elicit uncomfortable feelings. Learning to navigate these feelings will help with how you navigate conflict in various settings, both personally and professionally.

I offer coaching and group facilitation focused on how to navigate conflict in a way that centers care for all involved.