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Family getting on your nerves because of the coronavirus social isolation? How to deal with snippiness

The coronavirus pandemic is keeping families together at home and it's bringing out the snippiness. Blanca Cobb shares tips on how to deal.

We're focusing on enjoying time with family during the stay-at-home orders. And sometimes too much of a good thing can be a problem. Being in close quarters for too long can make people a little snippy. That means getting irritable easier than normal. When someone gets snippy with you, it's super easy to snap back. But, that'll only cause more problems. Instead, it's better to maintain your composure. This means to be nonreactive. Try a neutral facial expression. This means no angry facial expressions, whipping your head back, dropping your jaw or tightening your lips. If you do, pull yourself back together and take a deep breath before you say anything. 

There are different ways of handling snippiness. You can let it slide and give them a warning look. Or, you can say "ouch," which might get their attention and they self-correct. Or, you can be empathetic and assertive by saying something like. "We're all going stir crazy at home. It's hard. I felt sad when you hauled off on me. Is there something on your mind that you want to talk about?" Or, you can add, "I felt bad when you hauled off on me." Keep in mind that someone might not realize that they're snapping at you. 

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Share your thoughts on my Facebook page: Blanca Cobb-Body Language Expert. Write a message on my timeline and I'll get back to you. I'd like to know how you'd handle snippiness. While you're on my page, I appreciate if you give it a "like." 

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