How to Deal With Toxic People When You Can't Avoid Them

How to Deal With Toxic People When You Can't Avoid ThemSometimes you can't simply cut a difficult person out of your life. What do you do when you still have to interact with them?In this episode of the Slow Living Podcast, Stephanie O'Dea answers a listener question about how to deal with people who aren't good for your well-being—especially when avoiding them completely isn't an option.Whether the difficult person is part of your family, extended family, workplace, or another part of your everyday life, real life sometimes requires us to interact with people we'd rather avoid.Stephanie explains the grey rock approach and her idea of putting yourself into a “hamster ball” when dealing with difficult people. She also talks about separating someone's behavior from the person themselves, which can become especially important when dementia or another debilitating life event changes someone's behavior.The goal isn't to change another person. It's to find ways to protect your own peace while navigating relationships and circumstances you can't simply walk away from.In this episode, you'll learn:How to deal with toxic or difficult people you can't completely avoidWhat the grey rock approach is and when it can be usefulHow putting yourself in a “hamster ball” can help protect your peaceWhy it can be helpful to separate a person's behavior from the person themselvesHow dementia or a major life event can change someone's behaviorHow to respond when you can't control another person's actionsYou don't have to change another person to create more peace in your own life. Sometimes Slow Living means learning how to interact differently with the people you can't avoid.Read Stephanie's Book📖 Slow Living: Cultivating a Life of Purpose in a Hustle-Driven WorldGet the book on AmazonLearn More About Stephanie O'DeaWebsite: stephanieodea.comPodcast: stephanieodea.com/podcastBlog: stephanieodea.com/blogSpeaking: stephanieodea.com/speaking/Podcast NotesFind all podcast notes at stephanieodea.com/podcastnotesHave a question you'd like Stephanie to cover, or a Slow Living Story of your own you'd like to share? Leave a voicemail.