Don ’t Fight with Loved Ones Just Because You’re Upset

Now, more than ever, people need tools to handle their emotions. Specifically, we need tools for calming our nervous system down and making sure we don’t take stress out on our own loved ones. Families are going to fight more when they’re cooped up. The best thing we can do for our relationships is become aware of our emotions and learn skills to calm them so we don’t behave too badly.
“Every couple I know said they fought after going to the grocery store last week. Even one that went separately. That’s when I picked a fight with my boyfriend. And it makes sense because the grocery store scene right now is really scary and people don’t realize they’re feeling fear, they push it all to anger,” Jessica Hendel, an LA-based screenwriter, told me. “People are in there fighting each other over toilet paper!”
When tensions run high and we find ourselves fighting with the very people we love more than anything in the world, we need to STOP and reflect on what’s happening inside. 
When fights break out try these 10 tips:

Call a time out for reflection!
Identify what you are experiencing. Are you scared? Frustrated? Sad? Anxious? Jittery? Feeling sick inside, alone or uncared for? Whatever feelings you have, just stop and validate them. There’s no wrong way to feel, only wrong ways to behave.
Do a self-care check: Ask yourself, Am I hungry or when did I last eat? Many of us are on the anxiety diet. But even if we don’t have an appetite, we must eat to keep ...

Source: World of Psychology - March 28, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Hilary Jacobs Hendel, LCSW Tags: Anger Family Self-Help coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic quarantine Source Type: blogs