How To Deal With Negative People
If you are around a friend, family member or co-worker who is always negative, you may find that it’s starting to affect you. Research has shown that just like germs, negative thinking is contagious! This phenomenon is called emotional contagion. That is why I put together a list of 3 tips to help you absorb as little negativity from others as possible.
Tip #1: Take the Driver’s Seat for a while Especially if you are tired of hearing somebody ruminate over the same stuff, you need to at least temporarily take control. Begin planning activities that will get your friend’s mind off of their problems. Try going to the movies, hiking, a fitness class, or a local meetup. The important thing is to find activities you will both enjoy that don’t involve a lot of talking.
Tip #2: Be Kind, Yet Firm, in Setting Boundaries Sometimes it is not possible to walk away from someone’s negative attitude. This goes double at work. In situations like these, you sometimes have to set some non-negotiable boundaries. If your co-worker keeps trying to draw you into their sphere of negativity, tell them that you’ve chosen to think positively about your job and then leave it at that. In most cases, when people realize that they no longer have a sympathetic ear, they will most likely try and find someone new to dump on.
Tip #3: Become the detached observer If you are in a situation where you really can’t talk to the negative Ned or Nancy that you are dealing with about their behavior, then imagine putting a bubble boundary around you that keeps the good in and negativity out. As soon as the negativity begins, put on a smile and imagine all those negative words just bouncing off your bubble. In doing this, you can go from being a victim of negativity to just being an observer who is detached from what is being said. Think of yourself as a casual observer. You can reinforce this by telling yourself something such as, “I’m grateful for my positivity.”
Hopefully your positivity will one day rub off. Even if it doesn’t, their unhappiness is not your responsibility. I believe that by practicing one or a few of these 3 tips, you should be in a much better place regardless of anybody’s negative attitude. That being said, If these 3 tips don’t work and all that negativity becomes unbearable, you may need to take a friendship break and if it’s a person who is impacting your basic happiness at work, you may need to go visit HR.
Just like anybody else, you have the right to be happy so be sure to do whatever you need to do to ensure your well-being. Like this video, then give it a like. I’ll chat with you again soon.
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