Recognizing Intellectualization: A Defense Mechanism For Stress and Distress

Life can flow along seamlessly for ages without any serious concerns or stressors. Suddenly, it doesn’t, and a trigger throws us off unexpectedly. An essential teammate resigns.A big, long-term client ends your contract.Your business gets a shocking review on Google. What do you do when life throws you these curveballs? Many of us spring into […]

Feeling Unwell? It Might Not Be What You Think

Rendering of a playing card with an illustration of a girl with a magenta blanket who feels ill

Are you getting a fever? Did you eat something funny? Or are your symptoms the result of something else entirely? It’s often hard to tell when stress is why you feel unwell, but it happens to more people than you’d think. Sometimes it’s obvious, such as dizziness before a first date or nausea when you […]

Mouse, or Elephant? Why Stress Makes Us Exaggerate

Illustration of a Sphere of Influence Stress card in perspective showing a man with dreadlocks pointing at a mouse and talking on his phone showing a speech bubble with an elephant

We all love a good story. They’re more entertaining than dry, hard facts, and sharing an interesting tale is a great way to bond with others.  But do you ever catch yourself embellishing your narratives, expanding on them more and more with increasingly (fictional) detail?  Like that small headache that became a migraine when you […]

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