Do you have a tendency to do anything for attention? Letting go of attention seeking behavior can improve your relationships and peace of mind.
Keep in mind that a certain level of attention seeking is natural for people at any age. The issue is whether it’s causing trouble in your daily life and preventing you from finding more productive ways to respond to challenges.
Identifying Your Attention Seeking Behavior:
1. Look for the external signs. The external signs may be the easiest to spot. Typical characteristics include exaggerated displays of emotions, constantly seeking approval and reassurance, and difficulty dealing with frustration or criticism.
* You may also have a tendency to take inappropriate risks and focus too much on your physical appearance.
2. Identify the underlying causes. It can be challenging to get in touch with the feelings that prompt you to seek attention, but it’s critical to making positive changes. Often, this conduct can be linked to a sense of insecurity or neglect.
Dealing with Attention Seeking Behavior:
1. Address the underlying causes. You may find that you’re feeling insecure in a romantic relationship or getting overwhelmed at work. Once you have a better understanding of what’s really motivating your need for attention, you can figure out where you need to take action.
2. Develop more positive approaches to pursuing what you need. Instead of sabotaging yourself by attracting negative attention, get to work on constructive solutions. Stop sighing and throwing dishes around. Have a calm conversation with your partner if you think they’re not doing their fair share of the housework.
3. Monitor your emotions. Try to reflect on your thoughts and emotions before reacting. You can improve your own peace of mind by avoiding excessively negative or positive characterizations of people and situations.
4. Examine your physical appearance. It’s okay to want to look nice, but avoid making it an obsession. Ask yourself if your shirt is too sexy for the office or if you’re placing too much importance on your outer appearance in general.
5. Stop exaggerating difficulties. If you’ve fallen into the habit of playing the victim, you can make life more pleasant for yourself and others by being more realistic about your circumstances. Rather than viewing small obstacles as catastrophes, keep things in proportion and remain calm about minor setbacks.
6. Evaluate risks more carefully. If you find yourself changing jobs too frequently and getting into one volatile relationship after another, you may want to question your need for novelty and excitement. Positive risk taking allows you to learn and grow. Reckless decisions can prevent you from becoming successful and happy.
7. Learn when to ignore yourself and when to reward yourself. Skillful parents know when to ignore a child who is acting out and when to reward good behavior.
* Similarly, you can decide not to pay inappropriate attention to your thoughts and emotions when you find yourself getting too theatrical.
* On the other hand, recognize and reward yourself for discovering better alternatives to your attention-seeking tendencies.
Liberate yourself from needing to be the center of attention. Taking positive steps to change attention-seeking behavior can reduce the friction in your relationships and help you find more constructive approaches to getting what you want out of life.
