You might shake off these experiences and attribute them to personality differences, someone having a bad day, or something other than bullying entirely. But according to a 2017 survey by the American Osteopathic Association, adults are being bullied nearly as often as adolescents. Of those surveyed, 31% of Americans admitted to experiencing “repeated, negative behavior intended to harm or intimidate,” with 43% saying the behavior has intensified during the last year. So how can you spot the key signs of adult bullying behavior at work, at home, and in your community? And how can you protect yourself and cope? We asked mental health experts for their best advice. One of the places where bullying is often rampant and tolerated is in the workplace. Workplace bullying can look like a boss constantly over-correcting, requiring more work out of one employee, making you feel guilty about taking a vacation, or belittling you, either in private or in front of others, explains Arolyn Burns, a licensed marriage and family therapist in California. It can be scary to stand up to your manager, which means the behavior only continues or becomes worse. And bosses and figures in superior leadership positions aren’t the only ones who can bully others. Workplace peers can also exhibit bullying tendencies—these include pettiness, rumor-spreading, insults, cliquiness, intimidation, threatening comments, and more. Within your family and friend circles, Burns says bullying can take form of excessive criticism, gaslighting, mind games, or threats of physical, financial, or emotional harm. But no matter where this torment happens, it isn’t easy to recognize the signs while you’re in the thick of it, especially within close, intimate relationships and friendships. Sometimes the only way to know it’s happening is to trust your gut. “If it doesn’t feel comfortable, there’s probably some sort of bullying happening,” Burns explains. “It’s just that unsettling feeling of something not being right.” RELATED: Knowing Your Anger Style Will Help You to Finally Manage It Better—Here’s How Below are some good ways to stand up for yourself, take action, and get the bully to leave you alone. Dr. Ivanov says getting upset or angry only fuels their aggression. To help yourself calm down, he suggests doing all that you can to be kind to yourself. “Eat healthily, move daily, and get plenty of rest, so you feel healthy and strong. Take long baths for relaxation, light some scented candles, and watch some feel-good films,” he continues. “Do whatever you need to do in order to connect to yourself in a loving, nurturing way.” RELATED: How to Confront Someone If Confrontation Is Basically Your Worst Nightmare Unfortunately, adult bullies aren’t typically interested in working things out or finding a compromise. “Rather, they’re more interested in power and domination,” explains Michelle Chung, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist in New York City. “They want to feel important and preferred, and they accomplish this by bringing others down.” So how can you potentially expose their behavior? By saving every aggression—no matter how large or small. Ivanov says to save emails and take screenshots of comments left on social media that document cyberbullying activities. “And do this right away: A bully will rarely leave threats or offensive comments posted on social media up,” he adds. “Take a screenshot in the moment.” Then, to protect your mental health, block them everywhere: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, you name it. Limit all interactions to your work email and team collaboration tools, like Slack, so there will always be a record of the conversation. Stop Bullying Now Hotline: 1-800-273-8255 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988