{"id":112090,"date":"2019-06-18T11:00:33","date_gmt":"2019-06-18T10:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/?p=112090"},"modified":"2023-03-07T15:47:26","modified_gmt":"2023-03-07T15:47:26","slug":"how-to-deal-with-mean-people","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-deal-with-mean-people.htm","title":{"rendered":"How to Deal With Mean People"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_112091\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/8219099301_abc5778985.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-112091\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-112091\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/8219099301_abc5778985-400x300.jpg\" alt=\"how to deal with mean people \" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/8219099301_abc5778985-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/8219099301_abc5778985.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-112091\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">By: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/60383460@N08\/8219099301\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\" \">Kinglis10<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"color: #333399;\">by Andrea M. Darcy<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Stuck working with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/is-dealing-with-difficult-colleagues-affecting-your-mental-wellbeing.htm\">critical colleague<\/a>? Or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/child-being-bullied.htm\">being picked on by other students<\/a>? How can you deal with mean people?<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>How to deal with mean people<\/h2>\n<p><em>*Note that if someone is physically hurting you in any way, it&#8217;s not just mean, it&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/sexual-assault-long-term-psychological-effects-survivors-need-know.htm\">assault<\/a>.\u00a0 Get help. Talk to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-deal-with-difficult-boss.htm\">manager<\/a>,\u00a0 school guidance counsellor, or someone you trust.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #333399;\">1. Reframe the power game.\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Yes, we can be stuck in a situation where we have to deal with <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/is-my-boss-a-sociopath.htm\">a mean boss<\/a> or fellow student daily. And no, we cannot control how that other person behaves.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>But when we are dealing with a mean person, we tend to be<\/strong> in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/victim-mentality.htm\">victim perspective<\/a>. We <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/powerlessness-when-world-events-overwhelm.htm\">feel totally powerless<\/a>, and it&#8217;s exhausting.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>It&#8217;s also untrue.<\/strong>\u00a0<span class=\"s1\"><strong>You actually have<\/strong> <strong>personal power. Remembering that brings back energy and options.<\/strong> You can choose how you react, for starters. And given that most bullies thrive off negative reactions, this can be more powerful than you think.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #333399;\">2. If there are options, take them.\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Sometimes we get so caught up in being a victim we don&#8217;t take obvious options. <\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_112107\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/2252008877_1ed41be806.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-112107\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-112107\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/2252008877_1ed41be806-400x300.jpg\" alt=\"mean people\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/2252008877_1ed41be806-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/2252008877_1ed41be806.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-112107\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">By: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/eddiedangerous\/2252008877\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\" \">eddiedangerous<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>For example<\/strong>, <strong>if you are<\/strong> in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/toxic-friends-what-to-do.htm\">a group of friends that pick on you<\/a>, and you are telling yourself that you &#8216;have to&#8217; be in that group or you&#8217;ll be an outcast, is that really true? If it&#8217;s a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/should-i-quit-my-job.htm\">low paid job you hate<\/a> with a bullying boss, are you really &#8216;stuck&#8217; in it? Or can you start applying elsewhere?<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Sometimes being strong is not sticking something out, it&#8217;s making a brave decision to<span style=\"color: #333399;\"><a style=\"color: #333399;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/self-care-and-depression.htm\"> practise self care.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #333399;\">3. Be a boundaries bad ass.\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #666699;\">Sometimes all it takes to end subtle bullying is one conversation with <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/healthy-boundaries.htm\">clearly expressed boundaries<\/a><\/span>. Yet\u00a0 if we grew up in a family where we weren\u2019t allowed to express our needs or emotions,<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\"> we can <\/span>find this thought more terrifying than continuing to be someone else&#8217;s victim.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>But put it this way &#8211; would you rather spend months, or even years, wasting <\/strong>all your energy worried about the \u2018mean person\u2019?<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Or would you rather face your fears about being assertive<\/strong>, and use all that energy to instead do things like get better grades, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wrong-career-path.htm\">further you career<\/a>? <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Read our articles on<\/strong> &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/healthy-boundaries.htm\">Setting Boundaries<\/a>&#8221; and &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-say-no-more-effectively.htm\">Saying No<\/a>&#8220;, as well as &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-communicate-stress.htm\">How to Communicate Under Stress<\/a>&#8220;. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Then ask a person you trust to help you. Practise<\/strong> what you&#8217;ll say until you feel confident then go for it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #333399;\">4. Try the broken record technique. <\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em><span class=\"s1\">Set your boundaries clearly with the mean person, but they are not respecting them?\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_112093\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-112093\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-112093\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/363757696_27bed5956a-1-300x400.jpg\" alt=\"how to deal with mean people\" width=\"300\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/363757696_27bed5956a-1-300x400.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/363757696_27bed5956a-1.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-112093\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">By: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/aforero\/363757696\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\" \">Alejandro Forero Cuervo<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Many mean people are they way they are because they were not given the<\/strong> love and attention they deserved as a child and learned to get it by \u2018acting out\u2019. They are still stuck acting like a child. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>So much as you\u2019d say no to a naughty child by repeating<\/strong> \u2018no\u2019 again and again, repeat your boundary again and again in slightly different ways. <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #333399;\">The broken record technique also gives the other person no new information to be mean over.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Keep your voice calm and firm.<\/strong> \u201cI don\u2019t like you commenting on my appearance.\u201d \u201cNo, we are not discussing my looks, thanks.\u201d \u201cI am not having a conversation with you about this.\u201d Then change the subject or walk away.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #333399;\">5.\u00a0 Under-react.\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>The more you react, the more\u00a0 a mean person gets <\/b>what they want from you. The less you react, the more bored they are, the more likely to move on. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>A common method here is to give the mean person the opposite of what they want. <\/strong>The meaner they are, the nicer and calmer you act. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Sounds easy on paper\u2026 but not always so achievable in reality. <\/strong>What if the second they are mean something in you flares up and you shake, snap back, or, worse, tear up? Which leads to the next point.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #333399;\">6. Go energy neutral.\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Often we react because we show up already tense and ready for a negative interaction. <\/strong>So it can help to practice techniques so that you show up in a neutral mood. This can look like:<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Free flow<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-use-a-self-help-journal.htm\"> journaling<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/h4>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Take some paper and write out every horrible thing you think about the mean person. Don\u2019t hold anything back. Then rip up the paper (knowing it gets destroyed means your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-the-unconscious-mind.htm\">unconscious mind<\/a> can really unload.) Nobody at work needs to know you aren&#8217;t furiously working on a presentation&#8230;..<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Mindfulness.\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<div id=\"attachment_112108\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-112108\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-112108\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/28424392038_3b84f77290-400x400.jpg\" alt=\"how to deal with bullies\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/28424392038_3b84f77290-400x400.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/28424392038_3b84f77290-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/28424392038_3b84f77290.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/28424392038_3b84f77290-200x200.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/28424392038_3b84f77290-50x50.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-112108\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">By: Free Images<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/mindfulness-techniques.htm\">Mindfulness<\/a> is popular as it&#8217;s powerful. A few minutes of deep mindful breathing can make us far less likely to react when pushed (learn how in our free &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/mindfulness-help-guide.htm\">Guide to Mindfulness<\/a>&#8216;.)<\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><span class=\"s1\">Moving it out physically. <\/span><\/span><\/h4>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Using a lunch break to go for a brisk walk or quick workout &#8211;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/exercise-and-depression-does-it-really-help.htm\"> exercise is shown to leave our mood calmer.<\/a> If you can&#8217;t do anything at lunch, working physical activity into the rest of your week can also help.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #333399;\">7. Use body language. <\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">Sometimes we think we are coming across as assertive and strong, but <\/span><\/strong><span class=\"s1\">our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/the-power-of-body-language.htm\">body language<\/a> is giving us away.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #993366;\">Uncross your arms, straighten your shoulders, raise your chin slightly, pull in your stomach. Breathe as deeply as possible &#8211; if we hold our breath from anxiety it makes our body language tense.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>You might want to use <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/guided-visualisation-therapy-can-make-feel-better.htm\">a visualisation<\/a>\u00a0here of being a mountain, or a giant. Imagine yourself expanding until you are much bigger and more power than the person who is bothering you. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #333399;\">8. Be really present. <\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">Mean people are used to others trying to get away from them and avoiding them, or brushing them off. <\/span><\/strong><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #333333;\">Sometimes doing the opposite and being fully present to the mean person can startle them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Use the tips for strong and calm body language above and<\/strong> stare the person in the eye. This alone can make them back down.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #800080;\">We can also show we are present by asking the person if they are okay, or what is bothering them. If they are actually just seeking attention, they might actually talk and drop the mean act. You might even learn more about them, and discover they are not as mean as you thought. They might just be stressed or scared.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #333399;\">9. Clean up your past. <\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em><span class=\"s1\">Have a colleague or teacher you see as a \u2018big bully\u2019, but others seem to have less of an issue? <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Sometimes it\u2019s our own<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-perspective.htm\"> perspective at play<\/a>. They unconsciously remind us of someone else<\/strong>, and we are<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-stop-projecting-feelings.htm\"> projecting our feelings<\/a> about that other person from the past onto this person in the present. <\/span><span class=\"s1\"><strong>For example<\/strong>, is your boss or teacher at all like your mean stepfather you are still scared of? <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/bibliotherapy-read-yourself-better.htm\">Self help<\/a> is a good start if our past is affecting our present. Ideally, it&#8217;s good to<a href=\"https:\/\/harleytherapy.com\/?utm_source=Harley%20Therapy%20Blog&amp;utm_content=Mid%20Post\"> see a counsellor<\/a> . Navigating the past can bring up a lot, and they will create a safe space and give you good ideas for coping.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #333399;\">10. Drop the drama.\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Often we are more drained by the drama around the situation than the actual situation.<\/strong> We talk non stop about the person upsetting us, dreaming up <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/something-bad-is-going-to-happen.htm\">worse case scenarios<\/a>.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"color: #800080;\">The more you can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/black-and-white-thinking-stop-drama-addict.htm\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\">drop the drama<\/span><\/a>, the more energy you will have to actually deal with the situation. <\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>If you are at the point you are addicted to<\/strong> negative and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/cognitive-distortions.htm\">distorted thinking<\/a> about the situation, you might need to seek support. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/cognitive-behavioural-therapy-london.htm\">CBT therapy<\/a> is an excellent way to gain control of your thoughts so you can start making clearer choices again.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\">11. Take responsibility for your choices.<\/span> <\/span><\/h3>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #666699;\">There are mean people we didn\u2019t choose to be around (colleagues, bosses, fellow students, teachers) and there are mean people that, let\u2019s face it, we are actually responsible for allowing into our life. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>If it&#8217;s actually a &#8216;friend&#8217; or partner who is being mean to you,<\/strong> the question is <span class=\"s1\">not how to deal with mean people, but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/low-self-worth.htm\">how to raise your self worth<\/a> and recognise the deeply <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/examples-of-core-beliefs.htm\">negative limiting beliefs<\/a> that keep you in degrading situations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Feel controlled by a mean person, and can&#8217;t find a way forward? It&#8217;s time to seek support. We connect you with top <span style=\"color: #666699;\"><a style=\"color: #666699;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/therapists.htm\">talk therapists in central London<\/a><\/span>. Or find <span style=\"color: #666699;\"><a style=\"color: #666699;\" href=\"https:\/\/harleytherapy.com\/?utm_source=Harley%20Therapy%20Blog&amp;utm_content=Post%20End\">registered UK-wide counsellors and psychotherapists<\/a><\/span> on our booking site, as well as <a href=\"https:\/\/harleytherapy.com\/therapists?location_type=skype&amp;utm_source=Harley%20Therapy%20Blog&amp;utm_content=Post%20End\"><span style=\"color: #666699;\">online therapists<\/span><\/a> who can help you no matter where you live.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #333399;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-117271 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/headshot-yellow-397x400.png\" alt=\"Andrea M. Darcy\" width=\"114\" height=\"115\" \/>Andrea M. Darcy is a health and wellbeing writer and author with counselling and coaching training. Find her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/am_darcy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@am_darcy<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by Andrea M. Darcy Stuck working with a critical colleague? Or being picked on by other students? How can you deal with mean people? How to deal with mean people *Note that if someone is physically hurting you in any way, it&#8217;s not just mean, it&#8217;s assault.\u00a0 Get help. Talk to a manager,\u00a0 school guidance [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":112093,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"yes","_lmt_disable":"no","footnotes":""},"categories":[125],"tags":[291,172],"class_list":["post-112090","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-self-esteem","tag-bullying","tag-workplace-stress","has_thumb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.0 (Yoast SEO v27.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Deal With Mean People - Harley Therapy\u2122 Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How to deal with mean people - stuck with a bullying colleague who keeps picking on you? You can control your reaction to mean people\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-deal-with-mean-people.htm\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Deal With Mean People\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"How to deal with mean people - stuck with a bullying colleague who keeps picking on you? You can control your reaction to mean people\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-deal-with-mean-people.htm\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Harley Therapy\u2122 Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/harleytherapy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-06-18T10:00:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-03-07T15:47:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/363757696_27bed5956a-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"375\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Andrea M. Darcy\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/AndreaMDarcy\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@HarleyTherapy\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Andrea M. Darcy\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-deal-with-mean-people.htm\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-deal-with-mean-people.htm\",\"name\":\"How to Deal With Mean People - Harley Therapy\u2122 Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-deal-with-mean-people.htm#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-deal-with-mean-people.htm#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/363757696_27bed5956a-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-06-18T10:00:33+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-03-07T15:47:26+00:00\",\"description\":\"How to deal with mean people - stuck with a bullying colleague who keeps picking on you? You can control your reaction to mean people\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-deal-with-mean-people.htm#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-deal-with-mean-people.htm\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-deal-with-mean-people.htm#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/363757696_27bed5956a-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/363757696_27bed5956a-1.jpg\",\"width\":\"375\",\"height\":\"500\",\"caption\":\"By: Alejandro Forero Cuervo\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-deal-with-mean-people.htm#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How to Deal With Mean People\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/\",\"name\":\"Harley Therapy\u2122 Blog\",\"description\":\"Self-Help for Better Emotional Health\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Harley Therapy - Psychotherapy & Counselling\",\"alternateName\":\"Harley Therapy\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/images\/logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/cropped-harleytherapypsychotherapycounsellinglogo.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Harley Therapy - Psychotherapy & Counselling\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/harleytherapy\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/HarleyTherapy\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/harley-therapy\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/HarleyTherapyCoUk\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/harleytherapy\/\",\"https:\/\/uk.trustpilot.com\/review.harleytherapy.co.uk\",\"https:\/\/www.reviews.co.uk\/company-reviews\/store\/harleytherapy-co-uk\",\"https:\/\/www.crunchbase.com\/organization\/harley-therapy-psychotherapy-counselling\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Deal With Mean People - Harley Therapy\u2122 Blog","description":"How to deal with mean people - stuck with a bullying colleague who keeps picking on you? You can control your reaction to mean people","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-deal-with-mean-people.htm","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Deal With Mean People","og_description":"How to deal with mean people - stuck with a bullying colleague who keeps picking on you? You can control your reaction to mean people","og_url":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-deal-with-mean-people.htm","og_site_name":"Harley Therapy\u2122 Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/harleytherapy","article_published_time":"2019-06-18T10:00:33+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-03-07T15:47:26+00:00","og_image":[{"width":375,"height":500,"url":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/363757696_27bed5956a-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Andrea M. Darcy","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/AndreaMDarcy","twitter_site":"@HarleyTherapy","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Andrea M. Darcy","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-deal-with-mean-people.htm","url":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-deal-with-mean-people.htm","name":"How to Deal With Mean People - Harley Therapy\u2122 Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-deal-with-mean-people.htm#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-deal-with-mean-people.htm#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/363757696_27bed5956a-1.jpg","datePublished":"2019-06-18T10:00:33+00:00","dateModified":"2023-03-07T15:47:26+00:00","description":"How to deal with mean people - stuck with a bullying colleague who keeps picking on you? You can control your reaction to mean people","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-deal-with-mean-people.htm#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-deal-with-mean-people.htm"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-deal-with-mean-people.htm#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/363757696_27bed5956a-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/363757696_27bed5956a-1.jpg","width":"375","height":"500","caption":"By: Alejandro Forero Cuervo"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-deal-with-mean-people.htm#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How to Deal With Mean People"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/","name":"Harley Therapy\u2122 Blog","description":"Self-Help for Better Emotional Health","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/#organization","name":"Harley Therapy - Psychotherapy & Counselling","alternateName":"Harley Therapy","url":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/images\/logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/cropped-harleytherapypsychotherapycounsellinglogo.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Harley Therapy - Psychotherapy & Counselling"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/harleytherapy","https:\/\/x.com\/HarleyTherapy","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/harley-therapy","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/HarleyTherapyCoUk","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/harleytherapy\/","https:\/\/uk.trustpilot.com\/review.harleytherapy.co.uk","https:\/\/www.reviews.co.uk\/company-reviews\/store\/harleytherapy-co-uk","https:\/\/www.crunchbase.com\/organization\/harley-therapy-psychotherapy-counselling"]}]}},"modified_by":"Marvee Franco","uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/363757696_27bed5956a-1.jpg",375,500,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/363757696_27bed5956a-1-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/363757696_27bed5956a-1-300x400.jpg",300,400,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/363757696_27bed5956a-1.jpg",375,500,false],"large":["https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/363757696_27bed5956a-1.jpg",375,500,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/363757696_27bed5956a-1.jpg",375,500,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/363757696_27bed5956a-1.jpg",375,500,false],"post-thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/363757696_27bed5956a-1-200x200.jpg",200,200,true],"featured":["https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/363757696_27bed5956a-1-200x200.jpg",200,200,true],"related":["https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/363757696_27bed5956a-1-180x120.jpg",180,120,true],"widgetthumb":["https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/363757696_27bed5956a-1-50x50.jpg",50,50,true],"slider":["https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/363757696_27bed5956a-1-375x200.jpg",375,200,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Andrea M. Darcy","author_link":"#"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"by Andrea M. Darcy Stuck working with a critical colleague? Or being picked on by other students? How can you deal with mean people? How to deal with mean people *Note that if someone is physically hurting you in any way, it&#8217;s not just mean, it&#8217;s assault.\u00a0 Get help. Talk to a manager,\u00a0 school guidance&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112090","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=112090"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112090\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":137065,"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112090\/revisions\/137065"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/112093"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=112090"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=112090"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=112090"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}