WE ALL MANAGE STRESS DIFFERENTLY. DISCOVER YOUR COPING STYLE.

When you feel the weight of the world, do you retreat or get angry? Do you feel sad and sorry for yourself or frustrated and frantic? We all respond to stress differently. It’s not just learned behaviours or the environment in which we were raised. Our personalities have a lot to do with our natural default modes.

Once you know your character traits (and those of the people you spend the most time with, at work or home), the better equipped you are to deal with life’s stresses.

The four personality bird types

THE PEACOCK:

The Actor, the Dramatist

• Comfort Zone: Confident and friendly
• Under Pressure: (Fights) Becomes noisy and dramatic, fights with more bark than bite
• Under Stress: Becomes apologetic, friendly and manipulative: “I was only joking”
• Conflict Style: Problem solves, “let’s forget it and all be friends.”

THE DOVE:

The Martyr, the Peacemaker

• Comfort Zone: Shy and friendly
• Under Pressure: (Flights) Becomes quiet submissive and indecisive, battles in silence
• Under stress: Becomes quietly stubborn – digs in heels: “okay, then do what you want to do”
• Conflict Style: Accommodates, “let’s have harmony and keep the peace.”

THE EAGLE:

The Tyrant, the Dominator

• Comfort Zone: Confident and cool
• Under Pressure: (Fights) Becomes short, bossy, and sarcastic, tongue can be razor-sharp that wounds
• Under stress: Avoids or ignores the situation or person causing the stress, gets on with other things
• Conflict Style: Win/lose, “it’s my way or the highway.”

THE OWL:

The Moralist, the Righteous

• Comfort Zone: Shy and cool
• Under Pressure: (Flights) Becomes critical and withdrawn, quietly uncooperative
• Under stress: Goes within, quietly avoids the person or situation causing the stress.
• Conflict Style: Avoids, “do what you want to do, but leave me out of it.”

Fascinating isn’t it? So, which one are you? Your mind is probably swimming in memories of various conflicts over time, attributing bird types for each person. That’s the power of the four Tick bird types.

The next time you’re in a difficult situation that involves other people, change gears by talking about the bird types. It’s the perfect conflict diffuser.