6 steps to protect yourself from drama

6 steps to protect yourself from drama6 steps to protect yourself from dramaWhen there is drama in our lives it involves other people and our emotional reaction to them. If you are miserable at your job, the situation likely implies a boss, colleague or group of people is at its root. If you repeatedly avoid situations you fruchtwein likely dodge a person who you feel strips your power. If you commonly find yourself angry with someone, it is probably because you feel a need to defend against how they make you feel.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreDont Personalize Their BehaviorWe think people cause our sorrow. Not so. Our interpretation of anotlageher persons actions our emotional response to having been judged is what really makes us unhappy. We personalize their conduct. We make it about us. We judge back. We feel left out. We become needy for approval. Right now, there is so meone personalizing your behavior that youre not even aware of.Recognize Your Own EgoIf you feel that another persons conduct makes you feel less than you are, thats your ego screaming out for validation. Thats your insecurity striving to be protected. Notice this in the moment. Get familiar with what you are feeling before it turns to anger, paralyzing you with hurt and victimization. Notice your egos thirst for attention before you start to talk about the person or do things you regret that rob you of peace and presence.Create BoundariesDont turn away from the discomfort that difficult people bring to your life. See it for what it is an outside influence. Create an invisible barrier between you and them. Their bad behavior remains outside the boundary. The boundary you create cant be penetrated to hurt you. Allow their unleashed ego and behavior to be theirs to own on their side of the boundary. Not yours. If their behavior is repugnant, then the boundary needs to be concrete. Ge t up and leave.Build Self-acceptanceAbandon the need for anyones approval but your own. If you demonstrate consistently good character, good people will accept you. Our likability is rooted in our relatability. People are drawn to those who they can trust and are authentic. Thosewho show humanity not neediness or arrogance. Those who listen not dictate. Those who lead to serve not control. There is no room for ego there. Only compassion and acceptance of ourselves and others.Dont Neglect the Good PeopleYour relationships arent one sided. Sometimes we spend so much time focused on gaining approval from the negative person that we neglect ourselves and the great people around us. Reinforce the positive people with such exuberance that nobody even the negative people will want to be excluded.Stay in the MomentReinforce your strength with mindful daily practices that keep you present in the moment so that you can observe your emotions unfolding and draw the boundaries necessary to ke ep your presence before you act out in a way you regret. Meditate. Read inspirational material. Exercise. Do craft. Develop a hobby. Be as gentle with yourself as you would be with a friend. Some people will never like you because your spirit irritates their demons.Mary Lee Gannon, ACC, CAEis an executive coach and corporate CEO who helps busy leaders get off the treadmill to nowhere to be more effective, earn more, becalmer and enjoyconnected relationships with the people who matter while it still matters.Watch her FREE Master Class training on Three Things to Transform Your Life and Career Right Now atwww.MaryLeeGannon.com.