From elated to death, some people’s moods seem to jump up and down like a yo-yo. What is the best way to deal with such moody specimens?
You can often see it in her facial expression, sometimes just a look at the corner of her mouth is enough, and we know that it’s best to give this person a wide berth first. Moody people are quite a challenge – especially for those around them. But sometimes there is no other way, we have to interact with them because they are part of our family or our job. We have four strategies on how you can confidently deal with unpredictable people without letting your mood spoil.
4 tips to help you deal better with moody people
1. Don’t let it get you down
Even if it’s difficult, try to be friendly as long as you can. Don’t let yourself be infected by the bad mood of the other person – even if the person tries stubbornly. Being able to regulate your feelings to some extent yourself is a prerequisite for both of you surviving the situation unscathed. So: take a deep breath!
2. Find out what the problem is
Sounds so obvious, and yet it’s often not the first thing we do when someone around us is in a bad mood. So ask the person what exactly is bothering them. Depending on how reflective your counterpart is, he/she will answer you and that alone may calm him down – or just make him even more upset. If the latter is the case, you have at least tried to be objective and empathetic.
3. Distract
Next, you could try subtly diverting the person’s attention to something else. That way you might be able to distract her from her changing moods and defuse the situation a bit.
4. Set clear boundaries
However, if the person takes their whims and frustrations out on you regardless of your feelings, none of this will help: you have to make it clear that you don’t want to be treated like this. Of course, it is also important to remain friendly here. But with all understanding for the situation and feelings that may be burdening your counterpart: If someone goes too far and maybe even becomes personal or aggressive, we have to show this person clear boundaries.
In the worst case, the unpleasant situations with this moody person accumulate. Maybe at some point you feel like you can’t get to the person anymore. If there is no other way and the person is not willing to work on their moods and how they deal with others, there is only one thing that helps in the end: You should eliminate this energy vampire from your life – or at least minimize contact, provided your relationship and external circumstances permit.
Sources used: gedankenwelt.de, psychologytoday.com