Say you forget to do the dishes – a totally normal slip-up – and your partner makes a passing comment about the empty silverware drawer
Do you offer up a quick apology, wash the pile in the sink, then move on? Or do you take that passing interaction personally, dwelling on how much you suck and wondering deep down if your spouse can’t stand you?If you tend toward the second example, you’re not alone. The everyday, ongoing stress of taking care of kids while, you know, attempting to function as an adult, can make even the most emotionally healthy person turn molehills into mountains. But that doesn’t mean taking things personally is a habit you should hold onto. Janette Marsac, a therapist in New York City, says taking things personally is essentially attributing a negative outcome directly to yourself rather than to their actions or behavior....