A profound sense of discontent is the hallmark of the emotion of anger. It can range from the tremendous anger you get when you or someone you care about is mistreated to the annoyance you can have when you can’t find your car keys.Sometimes, it’s not just external factors but someone who is trying to provoke you into being angry. We often come across someone who seems to take pleasure in making us angry. This provocative conduct can be annoying and even confusing, whether it takes the form of teasing, sarcasm, or more overt hostility.

Why do you need to balance your emotions when provoked

The majority of provocateurs try to make you feel strong, make you unbalanced, or hit you in the wrong place. It’s a slight stab at your personal boundaries, morals, and priorities. The objective? To incite you to act out or to elevate the provocateur at your expense. And those unresolved feelings will fester if you are unable to react immediately, defend yourself, and put them in their proper place. You’ll be locked in a loop, walking around with damaged personal boundaries, reliving that encounter in your mind, and wishing you had handled it better.It’s a vicious cycle of stress that saps your vitality and concentration until you learn how to deal with such manipulation and mend those boundaries.

Here are 3 simple ways to deal with provocative people without getting angry:

Stay calm and set boundaries

Avoid making an emotional response. Breathe deeply a few times and keep in mind that you have control over how you react. Instead of intensifying the argument, you can react with compassion and empathy while establishing polite, unambiguous guidelines for appropriate behavior. Provocation is frequently less about your actions and more about the inner life of the other person. Think about having an honest discussion about what’s truly happening underneath the surface if the provocateur is someone you know well and you feel comfortable doing so.

Improve your communication skills

When people are upset, they frequently make snap judgments and may say the first (often cruel) thing that comes to mind. Before you respond, try to pause and listen. After that, spend some time carefully considering your response. Calmly express your emotions without placing blame on others (for example, “I get upset when…” instead of “You always…”). It’s acceptable to leave an intense situation and come back when you’re more composed.Make a commitment to return later to complete the conversation if you must take a break to calm down before continuing. Regardless of those individuals and the reactive voices they produce, you determine what matters to you. Always use a responsive strategy as opposed to a reactive one.

Turn negative into positive

There are further methods as well to convert negative energy from the manipulator and provocateur into a good one. You can use that energy for sports, the gym, or anything else that requires physical stamina. The former was a mental transformation method, while this is a physical one. Virat Kohli is the best example of someone who turns his aggression into an amazing performance by transforming his energy. Engaging in physical activity can elevate mood and lower stress.You can improve your emotional regulation skills by engaging in techniques like mindfulness meditation.