Discuss issues as they come up. The old adage tells us not to let the sun set on our anger. What that means is that we need to clean up our messes as soon as possible. But it’s so important to know that that may not literally mean that we need to do it before sunset. Timing is all important with conflict resolution, and there’s a right time and a wrong time to talk. If you’re too angry, for example, don’t force the conversation to happen right now. If you’ve had a bad day at work or you’re too exhausted, don’t force the issue right now. Instead, acknowledge that this is something important for you to talk about, but later or tomorrow or even the weekend may be a better time to address it. It’s important that we not walk away from anger or argument without at least saying that this is important and suggesting a time in the very near future when we can come back to the topic and continue the discussion.
Many individuals want to get past the uncomfortable feelings that arguments and conflicts can bring, and so they want to get it resolved right away. It’s wise to be patient, though, and realize that the better course may be to take time to think about it separately, so that when you come back together to talk about whatever it is, you’ll both be in a better frame of mind.