320 — Dreading a Difficult Person? This Play Makes Them Less Draining—and Almost Entertaining
Mentally Stronger with Therapist Amy MorinShow Notes
Want more plays to help you stay mentally strong? PIck up a copy of The Mental Strength Playbook.
Have you ever wasted a whole day dreading a one-hour meeting? Or braced yourself for a family gathering because you dreaded seeing the family member who makes inconsiderate comments?
The interaction with difficult people usually don't wear you out. It's the anticipation of seeing them that is draining. A meeting might only last an hour, but you can lose six hours dreading it.
Fortunately, a simple mental strength play can turn everything around. If you run it well, and the people who used to drain you might actually start to feel a little entertaining.
Some of the things I talk about are:
Why my therapist sister and I started playing Behavior Bingo at family gatherings.
Why dread is so exhausting, and what your nervous system is actually doing while you brace for impact.
How shifting from being a participant in a stressful situation to being an observer of it changes the way your brain processes the whole thing.
The surprising reason the people who get under your skin are also the most predictable people on the planet.
The four steps to building and running your own Behavior Bingo game.
The four pitfalls that can make this play backfire (including the one mistake that turns emotional distance into office drama).
When Behavior Bingo is the wrong play—and the harder conversation to have instead.
Related Episodes
298 — The Gray Rock Strategy: How to Handle Toxic People Without Losing Your Mind
89 — Dealing With a Narcissist? How to Empower Yourself with Dr. Ramani Durvasula
Connect With the Show
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Visit my website — AmyMorinLCSW.com
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More from Mentally Stronger with Therapist Amy Morin
Do you ever run out of energy by the middle of the day, or feel like you’re on empty before the day even starts?
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Are you always the one who reaches out first? You send the text, plan the dinner, and remember everyone’s birthday. At some point you start to wonder, if I just stopped trying, would anyone even notice?
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Are you the person everyone comes to? Someone asks you to cover a shift, join the committee, host the gathering, or help with the move, and the yes comes out before you’ve even thought about it. Then you’re driving home wondering, why did I just agree to that?