Negativity is an unseen force that weighs you down. It has the power to ruin relationships, decrease work performance, and increase stress levels. While having negativity creep into your life is not something you desire, the good news is that you can fight it by changing your mindset.
Not sure where to start? Check out these smart, effective ways to protect yourself from negativity:
Don't Take It Personally
It is easy to feel hurt or frustrated when someone’s actions or words seem directed at you, but here’s the trust: Most people act in a certain way based on their previous experiences, current circumstances, and inner struggles. Perhaps a colleague has trust issues not because of something you did but due to past betrayals. Maybe someone took credit for your colleague’s work in the past, so now he doesn’t trust his team anymore. That doesn’t mean he has something against you. He simply doesn’t trust people in general. It’s a reflection of their own challenges.
Instead of absorbing that negativity, show kindness and authenticity. Show, by action, that you can be trusted. Don’t take it personally.
Set Boundaries
No matter how hard you try, you’ll never be able to please everyone. People will always come up with new demands and take advantage of your kindness and drain you of your energy, if you let them. Apart from keeping you focused on your priorities, it can undermine your self-esteem. You have the choice to say ‘no’. Exercise it. Say ‘no’ with grace. Be true to yourself at all times.
If someone reacts negatively to you setting boundaries, that’s on them. They have the choice to react how they want. Don’t get pulled into their dramas. A person living in their own authenticity will not hold that against you.
Adopt a Positive Mindset
Negativity has a hard time surviving where gratitude thrives. When you cultivate gratitude, you’re actively rewiring your mind to focus on what’s going right in your life. Start a gratitude journal and write a few things every day. That will reinforce positive thinking patterns and reduce negativity.
Your positive attitude will also inspire others and strengthen your relationships. The more you focus on the good in your life, the more opportunities will arise for you to focus on and be grateful for.
Find Solutions, Not Problems
Most people tend to focus on the problems they are facing instead of actively seeking solutions. That results in feelings of guilt and dissatisfaction. Whenever you have a problem, take the steps needed to solve it. The longer you wait, the harder it is to stop being negative.
Stay away from people who make a drama out of everything. They’re only wasting your time and energy. Their negativity will affect you sooner or later. Surround yourself with positivity. Build relationships with people who encourage and support you and who are also solution seekers rather than problem dwellers.
Negativity will always be a part of life – that’s just the dichotomy of the universe. It is up to you to choose how much of it you want in your life. You can take the step of focusing on whatever makes you happy and stop feeding the negativity around you. Once you take these steps, you’ll be happier and see new opportunities that you’d otherwise have missed.