Why We Refuse To Listen When We’re Stressed Out

Perspective rendering of a playing card with an illustration of a man in a black suit holding his hand up to stop a woman in a purple shirt from talking.

“You just don’t get it!”  “I’m not looking for your opinion…” Have you ever encountered these responses when you’re (just) trying to give helpful feedback? Defensiveness is an almost universal way in which we respond to stress. But here’s the tricky part—while we’re often quick to notice it in others, it’s even harder to notice […]

How Stress Makes Us Self-Centered (And 3 Fixes)

Perspective rendering of a playing card with an illustration of a king with yellow and pink clothes with his hands on his sides.

Nobody likes a show-off. And no one enjoys feeling patronized.   But we’ve all been there – when someone won’t stop talking about themselves, or what they’ve accomplished…and while it’s never mentioned specifically…how inferior you are in comparison.   They might do it on purpose or unconsciously, but either way, it’s hurtful.   If you’ve ever been cut […]

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 […]

Easily Offended? It May Be Stress

Illustration of a Sphere of Influence Stress card showing a man with a blue shirt and dark pants sitting on a chair with his arms crossed.

A man walks into a bar. He looks at you and says: “Cool shirt.”  How would you react? Would you feel great, proud to be a trendsetter, or would you slink out, convinced that you look ridiculous?  If you’re the first, more power to you; if it’s the latter, you may be someone who’s quite […]

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 […]

EN