Article: Be conscious of the negative impact that a difficult coworker can have on you. Ultimately, it's your responsibility to look after yourself and not give in to his or her tactics. Taking the step to separate the behavior from the person in the office can help you focus on the stress of the behavior and how to deal with it. You can't take the behavior personally because it often isn't about you, but rather something going on with your coworker. Spending time with positive people who reaffirm your personal values and support you can be helpful when you work with difficult people. Have someone with whom you can talk both in and out of work to help vent your frustrations. Give yourself time and a safe space to calm down from conflict. Following a 24-hour rule when it comes to dealing with conflict can be helpful. This means not reacting in the moment but instead giving yourself time to step away and get support as needed. There are some circumstances where you need to involve human resources or your management staff. This would include threats of violence or anything that is creating a hostile work environment. Many human resources teams have special employees to deal directly with employee relations and can address your concerns in a professional and serious manner.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Take care of yourself. Maintain a supportive network. Develop a relationship with the human resources department.