You may have heard people describing themselves or others as being very Type-A but what are the actual characteristics or traits of someone who is a Type-A personality. People who fall in this personality type usually feel like they are running out of time, working against a clock, and often feel the need to outdo others.
While these might sound like traits that are present in all of us to some extent especially in a high-stake situation the key difference is that a Type-A individual will experience these feelings more consistently at a higher stress level. They also have a ‘hatred for failure or falling short’ so they keep striving even after they have accomplished the objective.
In addition to this perfectionist attitude, they also tend to indulge in self-critical talk and always have restlessness about themselves. They lack a work-life balance and find it quite difficult to not bring work home. This leads to unattainable mile-long to-do lists that give a constant feeling of falling behind and not being productive enough. While this might sometimes be a recipe for success and push them to do their best work under pressure these tendencies also make a Type-A person more susceptible to develop conditions like hypertension, anxiety disorders, high blood pressure, and even cardiac arrest.
In terms of behavior, Type-A individuals tend to be a little more aggressive, hostile, dominating, and unable to focus on one task at a time or sit still. This can make them come across as being less compassionate, jealous, and neurotic. Here are a few more characteristics of a Type-A person
• They feel guilty if they use their spare time to relax
• They need to win to derive enjoyment from games and sports
• They generally move, walk and eat rapidly
• They often try to do more than one thing at a time
So, if you could relate to most of the above-mentioned statements you might want to think about slowing down, indulging in more self-care, changing your lifestyle to a healthier one, and reaching out to a mental health professional.
Importance of Professional Counseling: A friend or family member may listen to you, but they aren’t professionally, technically qualified or experienced to offer you professional advice. If you wish you can contact us at MindTribe to receive help from our team of expert psychologists.
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About the Author.
Sakshi Kaushal is a psychologist at MindTribe.in. You can learn more about her by clicking here
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of MindTribe.in, the Founders, or management team.
Acknowledgement: All images used are open source and from Unsplash.