Some conflicts end when one or more of the people involved terminate communication contact, known as separation. Separation can take many forms. It might be technological: you ignore texts, turn your phone off, and delete incoming e-mails. It might be physical, such as when you stop showing up for team meetings or start avoiding family reunions. Or it might be communicative, such as when you are still living with a roommate but refuse to talk to each other.

Separation ends conflict encounters but doesn’t solve them. Although you might feel better—having detached yourself from the source of stress—the conflict isn’t resolved; it’s just temporarily on hold. On the other hand, separation isn’t always negative. As noted in the competition discussion, if your conflict has escalated to the point that you or others might start kitchen sinking, it’s probably best to separate. Temporary separation may help everyone cool off; then you can regroup later and consider how to collaborate.