Drama is something you can engross yourself in for a couple of hours. You either watch it all at once or spread it out over weeks – if it is a series. I am someone who can’t do ongoing dramas; they keep me up at night, they sneak into my head and creep into my dreams. I am one of the few who has not seen Game of Thrones. I could only do two seasons before I started to dream about it.

For me, drama creeps into my head when I least expect it, and even if it is a TV show or movie, it spends time in my head. For the most part, I know my limits, and I can turn the TV off.

But in real life, drama creeps in even more

Before you even realize it, you are standing in the middle of drama – real life drama. Maybe yours, maybe someone else’s. Drama is very engaging, consuming and –let’s face it – there is a part of us that likes to be involved in something. There is another side to it as well that is annoying, tiring, and sometimes painful.

I have worked hard not to have drama in my life yet last week I realized it had snuck back in. I was getting sucked into dramas that were not mine. They were unfolding in front of me, and I had a choice: to get really involved in them and make them mine or not. I actually stopped and thought, “Do I want to be involved in this? Do I want to spend my time on this?” My answer was no. So I did what I needed to do and then opted out. I have far better things to spend my time on.

I actually had to explain to someone that I was choosing not to participate in the situation, and they were surprised that I didn’t want to get involved. When they asked why, I answered that I was making a choice not to focus my time on the situation, that they could do what they felt needed to be done, and once they have made a decision, they could let me know.

Being proactive not to choose drama

That is the thing about drama. It is so easy to get sucked in, you have to be diligent about it. You could just be listening to a friend and the next thing you know you may be agreeing with them, even if you have nothing to do with it. You are getting sucked in and agreeing with them just fuels it even more. Drama is sneaky, it hides and then jumps out like a net being thrown into the ocean, gathering everything in its radius.

I would love to say I live a drama-free life yet that is not the case. I do have a 13-year-old who should be on stage and mixed with hormones let me tell you the drama is ongoing. I also deal with a lot of people. Drama is part of life, sometimes I do get sucked in and don’t even realize I am playing a role until it is over.

How to avoid drama

The first rule is not making assumptions – you know what happens there. If something is going on, be direct, ask instead of assuming, don’t run off and start imagining things. Don’t believe everything you hear, the grapevine has a life of its own. If it has something to do with you, go to the source, if it doesn’t, just stay out of it. There are times you just need to be the bigger person and walk away. This is hard, especially if your pissed off yet the only thing you have control over is your reaction. Breath through it and think if it is worth your time and energy.

The biggest tip I have for you: stay away from the drama queens! I would love to follow this advice when it comes to the kid yet I can’t – I love him too much. But you know exactly whom I am talking about; we all have a drama queen in our lives. He or she is the one that the tornado of chaos follows around. If you’re not paying attention, you get sucked into the vortex. You may like them, yet tread carefully, they can knock you off your feet.

I know for me I am profoundly aware these days about the drama going on around me. I am staying far, far away from it and just doing my thing. What about you?