6 tips for dealing with a narcissist at work, according to a psychotherapist

• Amy Morin is a psychotherapist, author, and the host of "The Verywell Mind Podcast."
• If you work with a narcissist, Morin says learning to manage your reactions to their behavior is crucial.

Listening to your coworker drone on and on in meetings about how great they are can become irritating fast. But long lectures from someone with a superiority complex won't be your only problem when you're dealing with a narcissistic person at work.

Not only will narcissists claim they're the best, they'll also insist they deserve the best. Whether they demand meetings are scheduled according to their preferences or they insist on getting the biggest office space, they'll urge everyone to give them special treatment. And they won't care who they hurt as they strive to advance their own careers.

While you can't control a narcissist's behavior, you can control how you respond to them. Here are some of the best ways to deal with narcissistic people at work.

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1. Stay calm

Losing your temper, yelling, or sending a rash email will only fuel a narcissist's behavior. They will gain great satisfaction from knowing they have the power to upset you.

A better approach is to stay calm. Show them that you're in control of your emotions and no matter how out of line they become, you're going to manage your behavior and act respectfully.

If you find yourself losing your cool, step away or take a few minutes to calm down before responding. When you're calmer, you'll be able to think more clearly, which is key to successfully addressing an issue.

2. Establish clear boundaries

Create healthy boundaries that limit the impact a narcissistic person can have on you. Whether that means you limit the amount of time everyone gets to speak in a meeting or you excuse yourself from listening to their monologues about their greatness, set limits on what you're willing to tolerate.

However, be prepared for a narcissistic person to cross the line. After all, they think they're the exception to every rule. You may need to follow through with a consequence when a boundary is violated.

You can say something like, "I told you I wasn't going to discuss this issue again today so I'm ending the conversation now. Feel free to put your concerns about not getting the corner office in an email." This will show that you're willing to stick to your limits when they test you.

3. Focus on the facts, not your feelings

You aren't going to get a narcissist to adjust their behavior by telling them that they've hurt your feelings. Not only will they not care, but they also won't understand. They lack empathy by nature, so focus on the facts.

Rather than say, "I'm frustrated that you want to keep talking about this," try, "We've been talking about this for 30 minutes and it's not going to change."

Stay focused on their behavior, not your feelings or interpretation of what's going on. Sticking to the facts will keep conversations less emotionally charged.

4. Don't try to change them

A narcissist isn't going to change their behavior based on your feedback, so don't waste your time or energy trying to convince them to do things differently.

Accept that they're going to brag sometimes and trust that they'll use people to get ahead. When you expect them to keep those behaviors up, you'll be less distressed when they continue to be narcissistic.

5. Ignore obnoxious behavior

Narcissists love attention, even when it's negative, so it's usually best to simply ignore their obnoxious behavior.

When a narcissistic person exaggerates their accomplishments, arguing simply prolongs the discussion about how great they are. You may find changing the subject, walking away, or simply ignoring their comments not only preserves your energy for more important tasks, but it may also save you time.

6. Address abusive behavior

While it's good to ignore annoying behavior, abusive behavior should be addressed. If a narcissist puts you down or bullies someone in the office, take action.

Depending on the situation and your role, you'll need to decide what the best course of action is. You may address it directly if it's appropriate to do so or you may need to notify HR or a team leader about what's going on.

Managing your reactions

Despite the frustration you might feel when you work with a narcissist, there may be a few upsides, too. Often, they're good workers who take bold risks and are unafraid to point out potential pitfalls that others might overlook. So take a deep breath, work on managing your own emotions, and practice these steps to improve how you deal with a narcissist's air of superiority.