Type A personality

Type A personality

Every person is a unique combination of four personality types. Over the centuries, these basic categories have gone by several names and designations, but for our purposes, they’re known as the director, the socializer, the thinker, and the supporter. As a shorthand, though, we refer to those personality types as A, B, C, and D, respectively.

Learning to identify people by personality type can bring a higher level of understanding to interpersonal relationships and team building, especially for employers looking for ways to avoid bad hires and reduce turnover.

In this blog, we will discuss the characteristics of different types of personalities. We will also dive into the details of Type A personality. 

In this blog,

Types of personalities

  • Type B
  • Type C
  • Type D

What is Type A personality?

Traits of Type A personality 

How to Cope with Type A personality

Pros and Cons of having a type A personality

Tips for Managing Type A personality at work

  • If you are a type A personality.
  • Working for a type-A boss.
  • Managing Type A employees

Takeaway

Types of Personalities 

Each personality type may come with particular difficulties that could be stressful and bad for their health. Fortunately, there are strategies for handling negative, overly anxious, and inhibited tendencies.

Type B

Even though Type Bs put in much effort and take great satisfaction in their achievements, they only put as much stress on their results if they win or achieve the most, which can cause a Type A person substantial stress. Additionally, Type Bs are frequently more imaginative and relaxed by nature. People with Type B personalities typically have higher levels of imagination, are more relaxed than A personality type people, are more contemplative, have less anxiety, and are more accepting of others.

Type C

People with type C personalities are docile, patient, detail-oriented, and people-pleasers. They repress desires, needs, and emotions. The Type C personality struggles with expressing emotion and tends to suppress incredibly unpleasant feelings like rage. This indicates that these people also exhibit “pathological niceness,” “conflict avoidance,” “high social desirability,” “excessive compliance,” and “patience.”

Type D

Negative feelings like worry and an effort to suppress them while avoiding social interaction define Type D personality types (the “D” stands for “distressed”). The less common personality type, Type D, has been associated with well-being and mental health issues. People with Type D personalities may struggle to express themselves and feel good about themselves. They tend to be anxious in social situations, have negative perspectives, feel the urge to isolate themselves and engage in excessive self-criticism.

What is Type A Personality?

Many individuals may stereotype a Type A as competitive, outgoing, impatient, and a workaholic. On the contrary, everyone who exhibits Type A behavior has a strong feeling of urgency. But there is still a great deal to learn and understand about the Type A personality.

Type A personality may be impacted by particular circumstances. For example, stress levels are frequently higher in workplaces where employees are pressured to be hard workers and competitive. Perfectionism-demanding high-stakes careers might amplify Type A personality. Additionally, it might persuade others to exhibit comparable traits.

Some people are likelier to exhibit A Type personality qualities like impatience, intense organization, and high drive levels. But how their environment greatly influences these folk’s actions. People become more anxious as their surroundings become more stressful.

Traits of Type A personality 

Competitiveness

The competitiveness and self-criticism of Type A people are typical. They work toward their objectives without experiencing any delight in their efforts or successes. The existence of a significant life imbalance is related to this. This is distinguished by intense work participation. People who are A type are easily “worked up” and frequently overreact. As a result, they often also experience excessive blood pressure (hypertension).

Time Urgency and Impatience

There is a perpetual sense of urgency with Type A personality traits: People with Type A personalities appear to be racing against time all the time. As a result, they frequently lose patience with delays and wasted time, cram too many responsibilities into their schedules, and try to multitask by reading while they eat or watching TV, for example.

Hostility

Type A people are prone to be easily enraged or hostile, which they may or may not display outwardly. These people frequently exhibit hostility, envy, and a lack of sympathy because they tend to see the worst in other people. In contrast to the TAPB, hostility appears to be the primary factor associated with heart disease.

Having trouble expressing your feelings

Goal-oriented Type As tend to suppress their emotions more than other types. Because being vulnerable makes you feel uncontrollable and uncomfortable, Type A people may find it challenging to discuss their feelings with others. You don’t have any trouble expressing simple feelings like happiness or frustration, but you suffer when expressing other emotions like sadness or negative feelings.

Control problems

You need to always be in charge of your life, which isn’t always realistic and is a sign that you’re an A-type. You will feel helpless when faced with a challenging circumstance beyond your control because there is nothing you can do to alter the course of events. Fortunately, a Type A can learn to control these emotions and focus on what they can influence. So, naturally, you’ll feel the desire to be in control in minor ways, even when there aren’t any major life events.

Feeling misunderstood

In their daily lives, Type As will encounter many Type Bs, Cs, and Ds, which may lead to some viewpoint conflicts. For instance, if you have a Type B acquaintance, you might find your friend’s carefree outlook on life upsetting. Conversely, if you’ve climbed the corporate ladder at the expense of a coworker, your Type B acquaintance might believe you’re too serious, too ambitious, or even frigid. Although Type As positively has strong personalities, not everyone will share your outlook or motivation.

Staying Active

Most Type A individuals don’t frequently enjoy idleness. Instead, you struggle to unwind since you work so hard every day. You’re the “workaholic” of the community, preferring to be active even when you aren’t on the clock. Due to this, Type As are notorious for working long hours, taking their work on vacation, and pursuing several side jobs.

Laser-focus

When working on a project, they are incredibly productive and have what you might term a “laser focus.” You can easily tune out the outside world and stay focused for hours on end because of how ambitious and hardworking you are.

Amazing multi-tasker

Everyone finds multitasking challenging, but Type As is particularly adept at simultaneously managing a few different projects. You often work efficiently, so you can prioritize activities and move quickly from one to the next. Does that imply that Type As are not easily overwhelmed by much quick multitasking? No! If your plate is complete, you could feel anxious and stressed, but you’ll successfully make it out to the other side.

Sensible and practical

As a Type A, you’re logical and unwavering, except for losing your temper when things feel chaotic. You are a sought-after employee, friend, and partner because of your cool-headed outlook. In the workplace, you make an effort not to allow your emotions to cloud your judgment, which makes it simpler for you to advance. This relaxed attitude indicates that you prioritize your aims and aspirations, not that you are chilly. Your ability to provide your friends and family with unbiased advice is another priceless quality.

How to Cope with Type A personality?

Having a Type A personality has many advantages. However, discover that certain facets of your personality frequently cause you to feel over-stressed, overpowered, and weary. The following advice will help you adopt a fresh perspective that will benefit your general health.

Alter Your Professional Life

Change a few aspects of your professional life to make your work less demanding, stressful, and unsatisfying. For instance, you could enjoy the meaning you associate with your work rather than concentrating mainly on results. Also, talk to your manager about expectations to ensure they can be met with a reasonable level of work if your job has been so stressful that it has negatively impacted your health.

Modify your thought patterns

You can train yourself to think more positively, but it will take some practice. This can lessen Type A behavior and help you learn to trust yourself and the people around you. Focus more on your strengths when you feel insecure about your abilities, such as when you make mistakes. Focus on talking to yourself like a kind friend when you catch yourself employing critical self-talk.

Make it up as you go.

You can create new habits by acting. For example, if you intentionally strive to slow down and be more patient with people, even if you don’t always feel serene and at peace, such behavior will become a habit and begin to come more easily to you.

This is different from suppressing your emotions till you erupt or being entirely separated from awareness of them. Instead, concentrate on altering your behavior while using emotion-focused techniques, and you should see improvement.

Create a Journal

Numerous studies have shown that journaling reduces stress and improves general health. Additionally, if done correctly, it can be a valuable technique for softening Type A personality traits. You can use your notebook as a tool for change by tracking how frequently you snap at others, are nasty to them, or are overcome by impatience. Increasing awareness of your inclinations and the things that set them off can be a helpful first step in making changes. Write about remedies. You may feel less overwhelmed by difficulties if you solve them on paper instead of dwelling on them in your thoughts. You can also read your journal to see if you can recall earlier concepts that could aid you with current issues.

Face your phobias

Giving yourself an extra dose of what irritates you to convince yourself that it’s not that bad is an excellent strategy to overcome Type A behavior, even if it may sound ridiculous. For example, to demonstrate that you can handle the aggravation of waiting, some therapists can advise you to choose big lines at the grocery store. Or, even staying in a long queue could encourage you to have greater patience.

Pros and Cons of having a type A personality 

There is no “good” or “bad” personality, yet having a type A personality has advantages and disadvantages.

Pros 

Type A behavior habits can be advantageous, particularly at work:

  • Higher productivity at work: Type A people outperform type B personality workers on academic achievement assessments. According to researchers, this may be the case because Type A personalities are diligent, focused, and goal-oriented.
  • Work well under stress: Type As is good at handling pressure and can make decisions confidently and safely. That implies that they can function effectively under duress or in a crisis.
  • Potential for tremendous success: According to a questionnaire, those with higher conscientiousness scores are more likely to succeed in their professional and personal lives. Efficiency, perseverance, and determinations are characteristics of conscientiousness and a Type A personality.
  • Longevity: Longer lifespans are correlated with higher degrees of conscientiousness. Researchers hypothesized that this would be the case since conscientiousness involves some self-discipline and has been associated with positive behaviors, including eating a balanced diet, exercising frequently, and refraining from using tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs.

Cons

Conversely, type A behavior also has some disadvantages:

  • Relationship troubles: Type As tends to come out as impatient and angry, especially when someone else is getting in the way of their ambitions. This may lead to problems in both personal and professional relationships.
  • Stress: According to experts, exerting excessive pressure on oneself to achieve or perform more quickly can result in stress, which may harm one’s health. Cortisol, the stress hormone, can also cause anxiety, gastrointestinal issues, and high blood pressure when it is present in chronically high amounts.
  • Short-tempered: You might also be more likely to exhibit this trait. If someone or something makes you go more slowly, you could become impatient, irritated, or hostile. Your personal and professional relationships may suffer as a result.
  • Depression and anxiety: Some research connects type A characteristics to depressive and anxiety disorders. It’s essential to remember that having many conflicts with the people in your life might eventually result in social isolation and solitude, both of which can have adverse effects.
  • Dominance in groups: Type As may be more likely to take leadership in a way that intimidates or repels others when working on team projects at work or in school.

Tips for Managing Type A personality at work

If you are a type A personality.

The emotional weariness and anxiety levels of those with Type A personality traits are statistically higher than those without. In the United States, physician burnout is on the rise and is associated with disproportionately high rates of depression, substance misuse, and suicide.

Hostility, which can manifest as rudeness, aggression, having a short fuse, or even toxic behavior toward other doctors, is one of the more dangerous symptoms of TABP. In addition, people with TABP frequently alienate people and devote too much time to work and too little time to relationships, which puts them at risk for social isolation and the associated rise in stress. The website offers stress-relieving advice for Type A’s, like scheduling time for social interaction, exercising, and listening to music.

Working for a type-A boss.

It might be challenging to work for an intense, demanding boss. Employee turnover and unhappy, disengaged workers are both possible results. To reduce frustration and create a productive working relationship with a Type A boss, there are several things you can do.

First and foremost, make yourself indispensable. No manager likes to put highly competent workers who do a great job in trouble. But on the other hand, your excellent job performance is the most potent tool to positively impact your management’s conduct.

Don’t personalize your boss’ actions either. Most of the time, it’s how Type A folks view the world; it has nothing to do with you. Instead, consider giving your supervisor constructive criticism on how their ferocity or abruptness makes you feel.

Finally, be aware that a strong team can be built using complementary skill sets. For example, non-Type A staff members can be calming, whereas Type A employees can use their authority and directness to resolve disagreements.

Managing Type A employees

Type A workers can be incredibly beneficial to your business. They are frequently aspirational and highly effective. But, on the other hand, they can be impatient and domineering around less aggressive workers. The secret is figuring out how to make the most of your Type A employees’ advantages while keeping things civil in the company.

Due to their tendency to work fast and with intense focus, Type A personalities require ongoing challenges to prevent boredom and to interfere in others’ affairs. Therefore, keep a running to-do list for Type A employees. Additionally, avoid micromanaging them.

Encourage excellent habits because Type A personnel have trouble maintaining equilibrium. For instance, please refrain from reacting to emails sent at midnight, and encourage them to leave the office by 6 pm. In addition, teach them how to assign tasks to colleagues. Finally, constantly express your gratitude for their dedication and hard work.

Takeaway

Although you might choose to attempt to change a few of your Type A tendencies, keep in mind that there are no right or wrong personality types. If you want to temper some Type A tendencies, you might be trying to relax and enjoy the journey more. Your objectives are still attainable.

The presence of a type A personality has advantages and disadvantages, just like any other personality type. Numerous Type A characteristics can improve your work and your capacity to handle difficult circumstances.

On the plus side, you might discover that your motivation, work ethic, and capacity for multitasking, even in stressful situations, may assist you in reaching your personal and professional objectives. To safeguard your mental health, you should know how you handle stress and engage in self-care.

What matters most, in the end, is how you put these qualities into practice and try to reduce stress in your life. A consistent self-care schedule can significantly enhance general well-being.

To live a healthy, happier life, experts agree that it is feasible to change some characteristics of your character, even though you may not be able to change your core nature.

NWorx curates this blog; we specialize in employee excellence and workplace productivity enhancement. Are you someone with a Type A personality? We can help; visit the NWorx website to get in touch or book a demo with us.

References:

https://www.betterup.com/blog/type-a-personality

https://www.verywellmind.com/type-a-personality-traits-3145240

https://www.simplypsychology.org/personality-a.html

https://rendia.com/resources/insights/managing-type-a-personality/

https://www.healthline.com/health/what-is-a-type-a-personality#pros-and-cons

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/crucial-tips-deal-type-personality-work-mir-uzair/

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