People Skills

I Always Get Friendzoned - How To Have The Relationships You Desire
People Skills

Always Get Friendzoned? How To Have The Relationships You Desire

Does this sound like your romantic life? You meet someone new and you two get along great. You’ve been casually dating with no commitments, but this new person checks all your boxes. They’re perfect! You really want to be with them. Perhaps too much. Your behavior becomes different around them. You had no problem being yourself before, but now you do your best to keep this person’s approval. You try to talk to them whenever you can. If they call or text, you drop what you’re doing to reply. You begin wondering what they’re doing or where they are throughout the day. “Why aren’t they replying to me?”, you wonder. You start to feel dependent, even desperate, on this relationship going the way you want. You treat this person well, you try and help them and you communicate your availability, yet you also hesitate to make too bold of a move – you don’t want to mess this up! The more you try to play it “perfectly”, the less it happens. In a final effort, you make your feelings known – and they don’t feel the same. “Let’s just be friends”, they say. It’s happened again – you’re in the friend zone. “Why do I always get friendzoned?!”, you scream inside your head. Let’s talk about why this happens and how you can prevent this in the future.

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When People Push Your Buttons: What To Think & How To Act [Examples]
Ego

When People Push Your Buttons: What To Think & How To Act [Examples]

We all have someone in our life that just gets under our skin. Whether it be due to personality differences or a deliberate effort, it feel like they know just what to say to make you upset, irritated or defensive. This can be a family member, friend, coworker or aquaintence. As you probably know, the act of provoking this reaction is known as “pushing someone’s buttons”. Dealing with people who push your buttons can feel like a lose-lose situation; if you respond in the way this person expects – you lose. On the flip side, you also feel like you lose when you don’t put this person in their place. It’s quite annoying, isn’t it. When people push your buttons, what can be done? Let’s talk about what you should think the next time this occurs as well as how to respond in the best manner.

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Are You Cancelling Plans Because Of Anxiety? Here Are 7 Ways To Stop
Anxiety

Are You Cancelling Plans Because Of Anxiety? Here Are 7 Ways To Stop

It’s Tuesday afternoon. We get a text from our friend. They’re attending a huge event this weekend and they want us to come. Sounds great! We respond enthusiastically and are really looking forward to it. Then something strange happens. As Thursday becomes Friday, we feel something arise in us…it’s that cocktail of nervousness, anxiety, fatigue and a little bit of fear for good measure. By the time Saturday afternoon rolls in, we’re cancelling on our friend because “something came up”. We were so excited to attend before – what happened? At this stage, you’ve probably realized that this is a pattern in you and that you’re looking to change it. I’ve come to this conclusion about myself, too. The good news is that it’s completely changeable – but it will take effort. If you’re cancelling plans because of anxiety, be sure to read on.

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Wonder Why You Can't Look People In The Eye? Consider These Factors
Anxiety

Wonder Why You Can’t Look People In The Eye? Consider These Factors

Maintaining steady eye contact is a challenge for many people. As the old saying goes, the eyes are the windows to the soul. Letting someone look into your eyes is a fairly personal thing for anyone, albeit common – even amongst strangers. For some of us, eye contact does not come naturally. Some of us don’t like maintaining eye contact for more than a moment, while others almost never make eye contact with anyone. There are certain syndromes that are associated with an avoidance of eye contact, such as Autism (via AutismSpeaks.com), but eye contact can also be challenging for people who don’t have an underlying condition. If you can’t look people in the eye right now, it might feel impossible to ever get over this. As someone who struggled with this for years, I promise you – you can. Let’s talk about how.

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Why Do I Feel Bad Saying No? Examining Your Guilt & Self-Worth
People Skills

Why Do I Feel Bad Saying No? Examining Your Guilt & Self-Worth

Your schedule is tight. You’ve got a to-do list with a thousand items on it. You’re behind on your own work. You’re running late. You haven’t spent any time on yourself. Family matters and logistics add fuel to the fire. On a particularly bad day, you may even experience all of the above simultaneously. Just when you think you’re carrying more than you can handle, a request comes your way. A friend, coworker, manager or someone else asks for a favor. They haven’t got time to take care of a task or tend to a particular matter – they ask you to do it instead. Although you’re at your wits’ end, you begrudgingly say “yes”. The requestor feels relief, while you feel more stressed than before. “But I feel bad saying no! What should I do?”. In this article, we’ll be discussing the reasons we feel guilty saying no and what to do about it.

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Are You Afraid To Ask For Help? What This Really Means [9 Simple Tips]
Anxiety

Are You Afraid To Ask For Help? What This Really Means [9 Simple Tips]

You’re stuck on something. You can’t figure out what to do next. You may be completely lost – metaphorically or literally. In the face of this increasing frustration and worry, anxiety levels increase. For some of us, this anxiety isn’t actually related to the task at hand at all…it’s about something a lot more sinister. Someone might have to help us! I know the feelings that come with this fear of asking – worry, hesitation, fear, insecurity and a cocktail of several other derivative sensations. Oddly, we may enthusiastically lend a helping hand when someone else is in need; we may even be the first in line to do so. This begs the question – why are we afraid to ask for help? Where does this come from and what does it mean? Let’s discuss.

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