Five Ways to Address Inner Conflict

We may deal with many types of inner conflict throughout life. You may know you need to end a relationship (professional or personal), but you keep talking yourself out of it. You may know you need to adopt a healthier diet, but eating the foods you love is the only thing that gives you pleasure right now, so you don’t. Whatever the inner conflict is, it could hold you back from a happy, productive life. Let’s look at five ways to address inner conflict to be happier and more fulfilled.

When we struggle with inner conflict, it’s a battle between our emotions and thoughts. We often feel pulled by two opposing forces, so we do nothing and stay stuck.

“Whether a man lives or dies in vain can be measured only by the way he faces his own problems, by the success or failure of the inner conflict within his own soul. And of this no one may know save God.” ~ James Bryant Conant

Here are five ways to address inner conflict.

1. Identify your inner conflicts.

The first step is to uncover your inner conflict to be fully aware, which isn’t always easy. After all, it is much easier to ignore the things that make us uncomfortable because we don’t want to face our struggles.

The trouble is, when you ignore your inner conflicts, they get worse. So, start by writing what you want and what is holding you back. Then try to understand where the struggle comes from. For example, is it coming from a place of fear? If so, what are you afraid of? Is it coming from a place of resistance? If so, what are you resisting?

2. Balance your rational mind and emotions.

You need to balance your rational mind and emotions to address inner conflict. If you focus more on your emotions, it will compromise your rational thinking. Similarly, if you were to focus only on being rational, your emotional needs would be overlooked.

Write out a conversation between your rational mind and emotions. This could uncover hidden aspects that should be considered.

3. Avoid making impulsive decisions

Give yourself plenty of time and space to make important decisions. Think about what is best for you and your decision’s impact on your life.

It’s easy to make rash decisions when dealing with inner conflict because you just want the struggle to end. However, staying calm during the discomfort and thinking things through will lead to the best decisions.

4. Consider your core values.

What is most important to you? Often our inner conflict comes from not knowing or honoring our values. If you try to please everyone else, you will only feel miserable because you are not acknowledging your core values, and ultimately, you won’t be fulfilled. So, if you feel you aren’t being true to yourself, take a step back. Think about what you truly want; what matters most to you? Then focus your energy on that.

5. Use the power of journaling.

Finally, journal writing is a great way to address inner conflict. It gives you the peace and mental clarity to reflect on your life and what you need to address. If you don’t know where to start or what to write, try starting with a journal prompt such as,

“What are you pretending not to know?”

“What would the wisest version of yourself do about this?”

Bonus Tip: Take your inner conflict to God in prayer.

What concerns you concerns God. Even the seemingly small stuff. It all matters to Him. Take your inner conflict to God in prayer and ask Him to reveal the best way to resolve it.

Matthew 7:7-8 tells us to seek, and we shall find.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

I hope you found these tips to address inner conflict helpful. Uncovering and dealing with your inner conflicts is essential to live a happy and fulfilled life.

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