COVID-19 has come for all of our plans and overextended us in so many ways.

But I think one of the most difficult things about this moment is having clear conversations

about stuff that we really never had to talk about before.

Even within friend groups and even within households, people have different ways of making

decisions about COVID-19 and there's a lot of friction that comes out of these choices.

So we're just stuck at home with other people or alone, simmering, even brazing in our

own little resentments so that by the time somebody doesn't put their dish in the sink

or flakes on the Zoom hang out, we're pissed.

But you know what?

The only way out is through.

And if we can maybe have some better conversations about the resentments that we're holding,

it's going to get a little bit easier.

Hi, I'm Julia Furlan and this is NPR's Life Kit.

I brought in some help with these hard conversations.

Let me get my podcast advice ready.

Hi, my name is Kwame Christian and I am the Director of the American Negotiation Institute.

Kwame gave me some advice about how to do better when we're in opposition with the folks

in our lives.

What can people do to be less afraid of conflict, to get used to difficult conversations or

not even necessarily difficult conversations, but conversations that require honesty and

directness.

Yes, this is so good.

...