and acting hurt. Angry and upset? It frequently leads us to think that we must find a way to get their behavior to change. You need to let that thought go. It's never going to happen. You can only control and change your own behavior. Acting hurt? Counterproductive. Difficult people will instinctively take advantage of your need for approval. In this situation, try to visualize yourself as indifferent. You don't need their approval; nor do you need to get angry. Keep in mind that difficult people whose annoying behavior 'gets a rise' out of you may, in fact, be doing just that -- causing your blood pressure to actually rise. (And causing other physical symptoms like elevated heart rate, rapid, shallow breathing and the production of damaging hormones.) If you believe that every interaction with an annoying boss or co-worker will inevitably degenerate into a confrontation, this added stress can lead to other counter-productive behavior like overeating or not sleeping as you worry about tomorrow's meeting. When dealing with difficult people, getting to a calm, centered space inside yourself ratchets everything down, and helps you get control of your emotional reactions. And when you change 'inside', it can affect a change 'outside' as annoying people won't be able to have such a big effect on you, and you're better able to keep them from getting under your skin. STACEY: I'm Stacey Tisdale for howdini. Okay the sales clerk is snippy, the boss is grouchy, that irritating co-worker has done it