The need for attention from adults, including parents & other adults on occasion, is common among children. But other people who crave attention are determined to always be the center of attention. If they want to be noticed, they could go out of their way & engage in unpleasant behavior. When this behavior becomes too frequent, it may be irritating & troublesome. If you also have such tendencies, you must know How to Stop Attention-Seeking Behavior.
An extreme underlying mental condition, such as narcissism or histrionic personality disorder (HPD), may be indicated by a persistent pattern of excessive emotionality & negative attention-seeking behavior.
Some Effective Ways To Stop Attention-Seeking Behavior
1. Making Healthy Expressions of Yourself
Try out your artistic creativity. People who are thought of as attention seekers frequently exhibit unauthentic behavior. Instead of being or expressing who they truly are, they do things to get attention.
Being creative is a terrific approach to practicing real expression & being who you are. You can select whatever form you like, such as writing, singing, playing music, or doing a skill.
If you’ve never created anything before, don’t be frightened. Even if you’re unsure and still determining if you’ll be any good at it, try something that intrigues you.
Just keep in mind why you are doing this. Without considering what other people may say or brag about your creations, practice expressing yourself artistically.
2. Focus On Others
Focusing on others can be an answer to How to Stop Attention-Seeking Behavior. Most of your attention is on yourself when you’re always trying to attract it.
Try changing this by paying attention to others. The options for doing this are numerous. You may spend time with those who matter to you, volunteer, or learn more about others.
Do you have any needy neighbors in your neighborhood? You may offer your services as a volunteer at a soup kitchen or senior living facility. Aside from reading to children & assisting pupils with their homework after school, you might also volunteer at your neighborhood library.
Spend time with loved ones and friends & elicit details about their life. Remind yourself of your concern for them. Give them your time & attention.
You might come up with an enjoyable method of concentrating on other people. An example would be to plan a neighborhood clean-up or a coat drive during the winter.
However, avoid comparing oneself to others since this frequently results in inferiority. The majority of the time, comparisons pit your ordinary experiences against other people’s highlight reels, which might leave you feeling self-conscious. Your need for attention can increase as a result.
3. Learn To Enjoy Your Own Company
Learning to enjoy & cherish your own company is one of the excellent Ways to Stop Attention-Seeking Behavior. All of your attention-seeking behavior comes from the fact that you prioritize yourself mostly. Then, learn to enjoy yourself with the person you most cherish. Find some activity you truly enjoy.
It may be something indoorsy like lying on a couch & binge-watching your favorite web series, reading books with a cup of hot chocolate, listening to music, or simply gaming. It can be something outdoorsy, like walking in your favorite park or cycling.
You can go on a solo trip. It will be like an adventure. You don’t need to take others’ consideration about the place. You can go to the hilltop monastery & learn about their ways of life, which have always intrigued you.
Or you can relax on the beach house on the secluded beach sipping a mojito. Once you learn to enjoy yourself, you will realize that you don’t need to hog the attention of others.
4. Make Positive Changes
Give yourself a pass for your errors. Many individuals repeat their blunders over & over in their minds despite it feeling unpleasant to do so. See what you can learn from your mistakes & grant yourself forgiveness.
Although the past cannot be changed, it may teach us important lessons. Praise yourself for learning something new & being able to alter your behavior going forward.
You should also forgive yourself if you can think of instances in the past when you behaved in an attention-seeking manner. Given that you are aware of these behaviors, you may start finding answers to How to Stop Attention-Seeking Behavior.
Kindly speak to yourself as you would a friend going through a tough period. “I know I screwed up that time, but I was trying my best at the time,” tell yourself. People make mistakes occasionally. It’s all right, and I’ll attempt to make improvements the next time.
5. Practice Daily To Be Authentic
Select daily practices that can help you become more real. This might be engaging in a rewarding activity by yourself or telling yourself a meaningful affirmation. Without thinking about what other people may say, practice being real & being yourself.
Whenever you feel that you are being genuine about how you feel at the time, you might make it a habit to do one thing every day.
This might entail telling the truth in a way you haven’t previously, such as, “Actually, I don’t like going to that cafe very much.” It may also refer to making a choice, like dressing comfortably even though it isn’t fashionable.
To assist you in accepting who you are, you may create personal affirmations. You may say, “I am a valuable & lovable person just as I am,” or “I accept & love all aspects of myself even as I work to grow & change.”
6. Realize You Are Becoming Unwanted
Let’s face the cold, hard fact. No one likes a compulsive attention seeker. Realizing this fact is one of the Ways to Stop Attention-Seeking Behavior.
The irony of attention-seeking behavior is that you do it so people start noticing you & provide their full attention. But it ultimately alienates them from you. How would you feel if you had to deal with a crybaby 24/7? Irritated, right? People feel the same about you.
You will start to see signs like they will not answer your calls or texts or, 2 hours later, will inform you they are busy. If you plan a party or get-together, they will give some excuse about why they can’t attend.
In short, they will do anything to avoid your company. Don’t make yourself unwanted by being an attention seeker.
7. Practice Mindfulness
Being mindful is attempting to avoid losing yourself in ideas or emotions that might otherwise take you out of the present moment, wherever you may be. Meditation techniques are the most popular way to practice mindfulness. Mindfulness may be practiced in several ways, though.
Visit a meditation center for advice on starting meditation, or look for books or websites that teach meditation practices. You may also use an app like Headspace, Calm, or Insight Timer.
If you find that meditation isn’t for you, you may still practice mindfulness by paying attention to your body’s sensations. Pay attention to how your clothing or feet feel on your skin if you become preoccupied with feelings of guilt, shame, or unpleasant memories.
8. Find The Root of Your Attention Seeking Tendencies
You may face the underlying reason for your behaviors by figuring out why you’re acting this way. It could, for instance, make you feel inadequate, find it difficult to be alone, or feel as though you aren’t making enough progress in life. You may get rid of your tendency to seek attention by dealing with these problems.
It can examine your emotions via journaling. A therapist can assist you in determining your underlying concerns.
Some Signs of an Attention Seeker
Irritating it is to some point, but there are certain signs of an attention seeker. If you can notice one or more signs within, it may be time to explore How to Stop Attention-Seeking Behavior:
- Utilizing social media to get attention from friends or followers & going to further measures to get comments, likes, shares, & reposts.
- Showing a lack of respect for others’ boundaries.
- Being too theatrical or sensitive in public.
- Feeling neglected if they are not the focus of attention.
- Looking for affirmation or praise from others.
- Faking their inability to do anything in order to get assistance or attention from others.
- Exaggerating or inflating to get pity or more appreciation from others.
- Becoming contentious to get attention.
FAQs
Q: Is attention-seeking behavior associated with mental illness?
A: A person who engages in frequent, intense, or distressing attention-seeking behaviors may be dealing with a mental health condition or may have a personality disorder. Various options include:
- Histrionic Personality Disorder.
- Borderline Personality Disorder.
- ADHD.
- Bipolar disorder.
- Oppositional defiant disorder.
Q: Does social media boost attention-seeking behaviors?
A: It is partially true. You are encouraged to share details of your life that nobody cares about on social media, like what & where you are eating, what you are doing, and where you are going. Some people crave attention, likes, and comments on their posts.
Q: Many admins of social media pages create posts using gods & deities. Is that attention-seeking behavior?
A: That is an example of attention-seeking behavior. God-fearing people can’t neglect those posts. That is a way to boost the hollow ego of page admins.
