Attention-seeking behavior: What it means and how to conquer it
Vying for attention is a common human tendency and everyone wants it time and again to boost their ego. While a balanced amount of it can be healthy, staying in constant need of it is considered unhealthy. It can be a sign of an underlying mental health condition. Read on to know what attention-seeking behavior constitutes and how to overcome it.
What is attention-seeking behavior?
Feeling the need to seek attention suggests that you thrive on validation from other people, without which you often find it difficult to function properly. Due to this, you tend to display attention-seeking behaviors to get the limelight you desire. These behaviors can be extreme and dramatic in nature. The methods applied to achieve attention are often unhealthy and manipulative.
What attention-seeking behavior looks like?
Some examples of this behavior may include faking helplessness in situations where you are perfectly adept at handling or causing conflict between people where you are the center of it. It may also look like playing up small injuries to look for sympathy from others, fishing for compliments on social media, and exaggerating stories to gain praise or sympathy.
What leads to attention-seeking behavior
Several factors can lead to attention-seeking behavior. Physical and emotional insecurities can cause a person to develop an attention-seeking personality. Certain personality disorders like narcissistic personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder, or borderline personality disorder, in particular, could result in attention-seeking behavior. Mental health conditions such as ADHD, anxiety, and bipolar disorder could also lead a person to display attention-seeking behaviors.
Bring awareness around your behavior
The first step to changing any behavior is to learn to acknowledge it. Maintaining a journal can help you achieve more self-awareness about your attention-seeking behavior. Notice when you engage in such behaviors. Take a moment to journal what triggers these behaviors and the possible reasons behind why you do it. Also, track how they affect your relationships with people around you.
Work on your self-esteem
A lack of self-esteem is probably the main cause behind someone exhibiting attention-seeking behavior. Seeking validation from others might temporarily fix your self-esteem, but it's an unhealthy coping mechanism. Building your self-esteem may help you feel good about yourself, and that might just stop you from looking for validation from others. Celebrating small achievements and reciting positive affirmations is a great way to start.
Do more listening than talking
People who are used to seeking attention, likely tend to do more talking than listening. You should start by being a better listener. To do so, put the focus on others instead of making the conversation all about you. Initially, you might feel uncomfortable since you aren't used to it. But gradually it will get easier as you continue to do it.
Give therapy a try
Consulting a mental health professional is the best way to deal with your behavior. They can guide you in discovering the root cause of why you crave attention and what changes you can make to stop engaging in such behaviors. If your attention-seeking behavior is stemming out from your mental health condition, they can help you in overcoming it, too.
