Very often, what offends us actually has nothing to do with us. We can easily perceive the actions and words of others as directed against us, even if they actually have nothing to do with us. This phenomenon is known as personality identification and can be a significant source of stress and anxiety. However, understanding that not everything is personal can help us cope with these emotions and reduce stress and anxiety. Don't take things personally - this is one of the key principles of cognitive therapy, which helps people overcome depression, anxiety and other mental problems. The principle is that we must get rid of the habit of identifying ourselves with our thoughts, feelings and behavior, as well as with the actions and words of other people. To avoid taking things personally, here are some things to keep in mind: 1. All people are unique and have their own reasons and motives for their actions and words. These may be due to their own experiences, moods, motivations or other factors that have nothing to do with us. Sometimes we don’t even take these differences into account; our attention is directed only to finding confirmation of guilt. But this is a failed position, preventing us from seeing the situation more broadly. See. pic below. Sometimes we become so fixated on triangles that we fail to see the other shapes around us.2. Some people may act and speak unconsciously, without a detailed understanding of how it may affect others. We should not perceive their behavior as directed against us personally.3. We often perceive the actions and words of other people according to our own ideas and expectations. We should not assume that our ideas and expectations are the only true ones and that other people should follow them. We are all different, we were brought up differently, and we all have different ideas about how to act. 4. It is important to understand that we cannot control the actions and words of other people, but we can control our reaction to them. We can choose how to respond to what happens around us and don't have to take things personally. For clarity, my favorite picture with a control circle: I will be glad to see your responses, comments and thumbs up if the article resonates with you. If you feel that sensitivity is bothering you, sign up for a WhatsApp consultation +7(987)541-27-85