How to Handle ProblemsAre you feeling as surrounded by problems as a superhero by bad villains? Maybe you just have one big problem but you don't know how to solve it. Whether you're struggling with your significant other or you're in danger of losing your job, there are a few steps that you can take to get your problems under control. Steps 1 Handling Personal Conflicts 1. Avoid behaviors that make the problem worse. When you're having a problem with someone, whether it's a significant other or just a friend, sometimes it's easy to do things that make the problem worse before you have the chance to make them better. For example, if you're having a fight with your girlfriend because she thinks you cheated on her (even if you didn't), don't make the problem worse by spending a lot of time out being social with other girls. This will only make you look worse and make it harder to argue with her from the moral high ground. Instead, take a vacation from people until you work things out with her. Another example for a problem with a friend is if your best friend is mad at you for blowing off their party in order to spend time with someone else. In this situation, you'll want to avoid seeming distant or disinterested in their feelings. Instead, try to do something nice for them. 2. Be clear about what the problem is. Before trying to argue with someone and come to a solution for whatever the problem is that the two of you are having, make sure you understand what's really bothering them first. Sometimes people seem mad about one thing but really they're mad about something else. If you want to really fix the problem, it's a good idea to make sure you're working on the right problem first. For example, your boyfriend might say that he's mad you decided to go to the big state school in the next town over instead of going to the local college with him. Of course, you'll still be able to see each other all the time and date without serious problems: what he's really worried about is that all that time off on your own will lead you to meet someone new.
