Ask yourself, do you invite drama to your life? Do you cultivate it? Do you seek out drama?
Lets dissect this definition, shall we?
The "interesting" part is what brings us in.
The "intense" part is what creates anxiety.
The "conflict" part is actually what feeds our innate need to "help and fix" a situation.
The word conflict spells out one thing...T-R-O-U-B-L-E.
As someone who is an active "mental" attendee of DA (Drama Anonymous) I will tell you that being addicted to drama is an underlying lifestyle addiction that is very hard to quit...and it can be a real struggle to not only walk away from drama, but to stop creating it and allowing it within your own life.
I recall driving in my car and getting mentally overwhelmed with anxiety about work, family, friend and relationship situations and I had to talk myself down from the ledge. Part of my ongoing "recovery" has been utilizing coping strategies to battle the entrance of drama into my life.
I will spare you the dramatic situations that caused the anxiety (part of my recovery!).
I will share with you instead some awesome drama-free living coping strategies. Here goes...
1. Ask yourself "how is this situation making me feel?" Often, the hardest part is tapping into your own feelings and channeling your true emotions about a situation.
2. Is this going to matter in a day? A week? A month from now? I have found that stepping back and viewing the moment outside of the moment can give you clarity and also prevent further thought. Choose what matters.
3. When your mind is waking you up at 3am, it is trying to tell you something. Instead of battling it, face it. Write it down and look at what you are anxious or mentally stressing about in your own handwriting. You would be amazed at how that can help you through a sleepless night.
4. Know your boundaries, limitations and your absolutes. This was (and is) my biggest struggle as a recovering drama-holic. I am a caring, selfless person. I have made the mistake of caring too much, sharing too much, and spreading myself thin to the point I didn't know where Tiffany started and where the drama ended. My boundaries are getting less blurry and my absolutes? Well...let's just say I am at the point where "drama" or "conflict" is giving me a physical reaction.
5. Trust your gut. Yes. I said that. I have ignored, fought, turned away from my gut. And it has gotten me in some hot water. Don't negotiate with your gut. You will lose in the long run, and may lose a lot more than just the battle with your gut instinct.
Letting go and turning your back to drama sounds like an easy thing to do. What I have recently learned about me is that for many years I "thrived" in chaos, not knowing how to allow the natural flow of life to occur or for certain life events to play out on their own. Sounds silly I know but I always had this skewed perception that if I tried hard enough, and involved myself enough, the desired outcome would eventually happen, even if it nearly cost me myself. But admitting the problem is the first step to drama-free living.
My daughter coined it perfectly!
"Mom, it's better to walk away from a bad scene then be stuck in a movie."
Ahhhhh....from the mouth of babes, right?
