Secondhand anxiety.  Ever heard of it?  If not, I’m sure you’ve experienced it at least once or twice in your life.

It’s the time you all of sudden started panicking about your annual review at work because your co-worker stood at your desk for 20 minutes complaining that her manager gave her a bad review.  It’s the moment you started feeling stressed about your life timeline because your sister talked about all of the goals she didn’t reach by her 40^th birthday.

Simply put, secondhand anxiety is the bad vibes you catch from someone else’s negative emotions.

Secondhand anxiety is the firsthand killer of all of your good vibes. 

The trick is get ahead of the secondhand anxiety before it even comes your way.  This way, it won’t throw you off your game.

As a pup who’s in the puppy love business, I’m usually the one humans rely on for a little comfort.  A little TLC.  A solution to reduce the stress of that annoying co-worker who always makes it a point to make her presence known in each and every meeting.

However, my solution to remaining in good vibes only is one I had to learn and perfect over the years.

I’ve learned to not only set boundaries, but also make everyone aware of them.

Standards.  Limits.  Space.  Whatever you decide to call it.  Boundaries are essential to making sure you stay in tune to your emotional well-being and minimize the effects of secondhand anxiety.  As Irma Kurtz stated…

I use my own little bed in my only little corner of the bedroom as my own personal boundary.  The moment I have had enough of snuggling, people petting me, or even listening to humans talk about the latest episode of the Real Housewives of whatever city, I retreat to my bed to be by myself.

I may lie there and play with my toys.  I may decide to watch whatever’s happening around me.  I may even decide to go to sleep.

Whatever I decide to do, it doesn’t matter.  Mom and anyone else know that when I’m in my bed that I’m getting into myself.  Therefore, they don’t bother me, and I get the time to reflect as well as stay in tune to my own emotions.

I’ve also learned that sometimes telling everyone about your boundaries isn’t enough.  It’s often better to take action.  Humans (and pups alike) will respect those boundaries a lot more if they see you living them.

That’s why these Apple Carob Chip Oatmeal Muffin Pupcakes are dedicated to not only setting boundaries, but also having the courage to enforce them.

And of course, we believe that every pupcake has a love story.  So, while your favorite pup is PUPPY LOVIN’ on these pupcakes, we’d love to hear from you.

How do you set boundaries in your life?  How have those boundaries kept you in good vibes only?

Please share your pupcake story in the box below.

And, after you’ve tried this recipe please share it with us @pupcakesugar on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or all three.  We’d love to see how they turned out for you.

Ingredients

Apple Carob Chip Oatmeal Muffin Pupcakes

• ½ Cup Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• ½ Cup Quaker Oats
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• ⅓ Cup Unsweetened Applesauce
• 1 Egg
• ¼ Cup Carob Chips

Instructions

Yields: 12 – 14 Mini Pupcakes 

For Apple Carob Chip Oatmeal Muffin Pupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.  Line 12 – 14 1.75-inch mini-muffin pan with paper bake cups and set aside.
2. In small bowl mix together flour, baking powder, dried Quaker oats. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl add olive oil, applesauce, and egg. Beat on medium speed about 2 minutes or until combined.
4. Add dry ingredients into the mixture and blend for approximately 2 minutes until well mixed.
5. Stir in carob chips.
6. Fill each cupcake liner with 1 tablespoon of pupcake mix.
7. Bake pupcakes for 12 minutes. Pupcakes are done when you can stick a toothpick into the cake and it comes out clean.  Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

Notes

• This recipe is for a fun treat ONLY. It should not replace your dog’s regular meals.  Please consult with your vet on the best plan for your dog’s diet.