Make Peace With Your Inner Mean Girl

Has your inner mean girl come out to play? Ew! But before you give her the smackdown, know that she can hold a few clues as to what’s really going on in your world. Figure out how to rein her in and you can turn any icky situation into a pleasant experience. Promise!

You Are Not Your Reaction
You’re sitting at your fave cafe clutching a chocolate shake as your peeps notice a not-so-hot boy gawking at you. Seriously, he won’t stop staring! You make a snide comment about him, and your friends laugh hysterically.

So, how’d that feel? Do you really feel good about some boy, cute or not, being the butt of a joke? It’s nobody’s natural state to be mean. The guy obviously thinks you’re attractive, so instead of speaking up, silently take his stares as a compliment. If it makes you uncomfortable, simply look away. Why have a staring contest?

It’s an Inside Job
Oh, no! You and your bestie had a spat. No biggie, since you two usually patch things up stat. But your inner mean girl keeps hitting the replay button in your mind. You can’t stop thinking about how bossy and opinionated she is, and you totally have an attitude about it.

Could it be -- bear with us -- those qualities are on parade because she’s mirroring back things you don’t exactly adore about you? Turn inward. And be honest! Redirect your ’tude, and watch hers slowly shift too. Like magic!

Hold Yourself Accountable
Mom called you out (again) because you didn’t unload the dishwasher or clean out the cat’s litter box. Chores, ugh. So you snapped at her, and now you’re grounded. Yeah, you’re slammed with school and extracurrix. Still, no excuse!

So, suck it up and tell mom “Sorry.” The trick here is to not expect a payoff for apologizing. Just do it because you’re holding yourself responsible for being irresponsible. Owning up holds its own rewards. You’ll see (wink, wink).

Speak Your Mind

Sheesh! Every time you’re having some girl time in your crib with your crew, your little bro is trying to get in the mix. So embarrassing!

Have you talked to him privately about this? (No, screaming at him does not count!) Consider approaching your brother from a level of respect. Say something like, “Look, I know everybody treats you like you’re just a kid. But I know you’re way more mature than you pretend to be.” Set the convo up that way, and he’ll be so much more receptive to your request.

Don’t Be so Hard on Yourself
No matter how your life’s scenarios play out, be easy on yourself. If you slip into mean girl mode, acknowledge it and then take some quiet time to figure out how you can flip a negative into a positive. Then don’t stay stuck; move on. It really is that simple!

Photo: @iStockphoto.com/JoseASReyes