Do Your Loved Ones Ever Drive You Crazy? Build Your Immunity
I love my family! My relationships with my daughter and husband are a top priority in my life. Yet there are times we can drive each other crazy. Certain things they say or do can trigger me and cause me to say or do things I later regret. Why did I snap at them like that? Why did I lose my cool? Can you relate?
If you’re like me, my interactions with other people, even those I love, can sometimes create frustration and stress. It may be that grumpy customer service person, or that friend who’s in a bad mood, or even another driver on the road.
What I’ve learned that’s made a HUGE difference in my life is to build my immunity. Even though it’s easy for me to think that the other person needs to change, a much more effective and faster way to improve the situation is to change myself.
Immunity to Negativity Formula.™
- Step 1 – Prepare – This step is all about getting ready ahead of time. It’s about making sure you have the right “protection and equipment” to handle what other people might throw at you. I think of it like a baseball catcher with their helmet and catcher’s mitt. If they miss the ball, they won’t get hurt.
- Step 2 – Practice – Step two focuses on having our protective equipment ready before the big game and finding everyday opportunities that we can practice on. Now we get better at catching the ball and deflecting those misses.
- Step 3 – Pause – Step three is the first step when we are in the moment with our negative person. It’s the brief space between being exposed to their emotions and reacting with our own emotions.
- Step 4 – Notice – Now that we’ve paused, we have the opportunity to notice how we’re feeling and the first reaction that comes to our mind. Pausing and noticing are important steps we can practice on the easy stuff ahead of time (see Step 2).
- Step 5 – Choose – This is the step that transforms our interactions and strengthens our relationships. It’s the point where we get to decide what the best response would be for this specific situation. Instead of assuming, we get curious. Instead of getting impatient, we take a breath. Instead of judging, we use empathy.
You have the power to change your interactions for the better. It’s not easy, but with a little effort, you can build your immunity!!
If you want some help, check out my 7-week Master Class here.
