Stress

“Stress” is a general term meaning challenge. The experience of emotional stress isn’t only due to life events and circumstances, but is also strongly influenced by your psychological habits and possibly your biochemistry.

This is the reason that people vary so greatly in what they find stressful, or not.

It’s also good news, because it means you can learn to think in a less stress-inducing way and design a lower stress lifestyle for yourself.

Below are posts on Shrink Wrap that may help you to do that, as they discuss stress or closely related concepts.

Introverts are more easily distracted

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Open-plan offices

Having the radio or TV on in the background drives me bat-poop crazy. Fortunately, I and my other half have evolved a reliable arrangement that includes volume controls and a rather spiffy wireless headset. (For him, not me.)

It wasn’t always this way. As in any relationship, the compromises of cohabitation are negotiated and whittled over time. Working from a nice open-plan home much of the time, at first I found myself frustratingly unproductive. I had discovered the inherent incompatibility between the analytical nature of my business consulting and writing work, and sharing space with a stimulation-craving extrovert. Read more…

Can dating give you Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?

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Dating-Induced PTSD

My last article about Donald Trump drew an interesting response from a reader. She was experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after a nasty romantic run-in with a narcissist, and subsequently witnessing Trump’s behaviour was triggering her symptoms…

I’ve often suspected that romantic catastrophes can produce the gamut of PTSD-like symptoms. I’ve seen it in my clients, and I’ve experienced it myself. Yet we don’t seem to talk about it in those terms. Why not? Read more…

Is your boss a corporate psychopath?

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Does this remind you of anyone? Superficially charming, even warm. Extreme intimidation of others. Manipulative and controlling. Bad tempered. Self-obsessed. Lacking remorse.

Then you may be working with a corporate psychopath. Contrary to popular understanding, psychopathology is not always about murderousness. It’s defined broadly as …

And there’s a surprising amount of it about. One woman in 200 is classifiable as a psychopath, as is one man in 80. Chances are, you have a psychopath in your building. Read more…