As we’re doing the important work of recovery, one thing we come to learn is that our relationships have a lot to do with our mental and emotional health. When we are in stressful relationships, our well-being suffers. Similarly, when we are not at peace within ourselves, this is reflected in our relationships and the situations we go through. Our addiction recovery involves learning how to be at peace within ourselves and with the other people in our lives. Learning how to resolve interpersonal conflicts is an important part of healing our broken and damaged relationships and healing ourselves. An effective focal point when working with conflict resolution is staying calm. This principle might sound simple in theory, but in practice it is anything but. It’s not easy to implement calm when our emotions are heightened, our thoughts are racing, and we’re consumed with anger and anxiety. When we’re able to stay calm, though, we allow the issue at hand to be resolved naturally and organically. If everyone stays calm, we all have a chance to express ourselves and be heard. We are more inclined to listen and hold space for the other person. We’re more likely to seek to understand rather than to be right. Another thing we can focus on is prioritizing the resolution rather than getting stuck in the immediacy of the problem. We can operate as though things are working themselves out, rather than adding negativity, worry or pessimism to the equation, making everything harder. We can visualize ourselves reunited, working through the situation with all the love that brought us together in the first place. We can choose to focus on this love and on forgiveness, especially when our hurt and anger are threatening to pull us away from our loved ones. We can be as humble as possible and seek forgiveness also, both from others and from ourselves. We can try to remember that conflict is a natural occurrence in any relationship, and how we manage to work through it determines the strength of its foundation. The more we can work towards conflict resolution in our relationships, the more at peace we will be within ourselves. We won’t feel as consumed by anger, sadness and anxiety. We are able to hold onto our joy and maintain our connection with the people we care about. Our mental and emotional health improve. Developing the skills for conflict resolution serves us greatly in our recovery and in our overall well-being.
At Riverside Recovery, we offer family therapy and workshops to help you and your family learn the skills necessary for healthy conflict resolution. Call us today to get the help you deserve: (800) 871-5440.
