Two minds are better than one!

5 Ask for help

If you often have trouble conversing with a particular person get advice from someone that knows other person. Very often by doing this you will get new insights you can act on right away.

And someone who is removed from situation will have objectivity you need to make sense of chaos you have created.

6 Take a break

Sometimes timing just is not right. Reschedule conversation for a later time when you are better prepared, more rested or not as distracted by other issues.

Forcing something to work out when odds are stacked against you is difficult and often unnecessary. Get back to it later when you are feeling more capable and you will make better decisions and with less effort.

7 Aim for good not perfect

Sometimes we hold such high standards for ourselves that we can never win. If you demand 100 per cent success at all times you are setting yourself up for constant disappointment. Do your best and aim to learn and improve from every experience.

Be kinder to yourself and you will be more relaxed in all of your dealings with other people. And ironically your performance will improve because you are not being so hard on yourself.

When you are in a potentially stressful situation and everyone around you is losing their cool this does not mean you have to join them! You will be able to contribute a lot more if you remain calm and centered.

Staying calm and resourceful is a choice you can make. Unfortunately it is all too easy to be a sheep and simply follow crowd. Nobody says you have to be a sheep!

Instead make a point of keeping yourself in a resourceful state.

3 Step Outside The Situation

Whenever I am in a highly charged situation I will often step outside situation -- in my mind. This helps to defuse event for me.

You can do this too. Simply imagine that you are at other end of room watching interaction between you and other person or people.

It is as if you are a neutral observer with no emotional involvement in discussion at hand.

When you do this you will think of ideas to handle situation better and you will also feel less bothered by stress of other people.

This is one technique you need to play with first in easy everyday conversations. Once you get familiar with it you will find it easy to mentally step outside event while still participating with people in front of you.

Stress or relaxation which do you prefer?