Are You Mr or Ms “Right All The Time?”

Perspective rendering of a playing card with an illustration of a woman in a purple shirt and a woman in a yellow shirt having a discussion.

Have you ever found yourself stuck in a conversation where the other person just won’t give up? You know the drill:  We’ve all been in situations where someone simply must prove their expertise or worth. They rarely end well, leading mostly to arguments, disagreements, and other unpleasant conflicts in the workplace.  And let’s face it: […]

It’s All Your Fault! Understanding Blaming as a Response to Stress

Perspective rendering of a playing card with an illustration of two men pointing fingers at each other, blaming each other.

“This is all your fault.” “I can’t trust you to do anything right.” “If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t be in this situation!” Have you ever started an argument, run out of patience, or pointed at someone else when things went frustratingly wrong? We all respond differently to tense or challenging situations, and accusing […]

Denial: A Defensive Response to Stress

Rendering of a card with an illustration of a man in a black suit with his hands over his eyes

Do you often shrug off big events, only to regret it later?  Like an angry customer, conflicts at work, or the repercussions of your own mistakes?   Or perhaps you put tasks on the backburner, telling yourself they’ll be fine when they’re really, really very urgent to deal with now?  Being in denial is a classic […]

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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