How do you stay positive when you are surrounded by negative people? We show how you can best protect yourself from negativity.
Actually, you had a good day. So far everything went well. Until you meet a good friend who ventures her anger: the job is annoying, her dog is sick, politics is going downhill and men – oh, you can forget them anyway!
And even though your day has been going pretty well so far, you suddenly feel bad. Negativity is extremely contagious – and we need some good tips to protect ourselves from it. The following strategies will help you stay positivewhen you are surrounded by negative people.
Save your time
When negative people take up a lot of your time, staying positive can be especially difficult. So the first measure is: look at the clock! Even if you want to be there for other people – sometimes you have to set limits to protect your own well-being.
Of course, when we hear negative words, we cannot run away straight away. But at least we can limit the timewhere negativity pours down on us. And a lot is done with that!
Do you sometimes find it difficult to draw boundaries? Here's how it gets easier when you have to say no.
Determine your posture
Everyone can have their opinion. Like negativity, positivity often has nothing to do with facts. It's about how we interpret and interpret facts. And we can influence that at any time!
Even if everyone else wants to see the glass half empty – you can still choose to thatyour glass is always half full. If you clearly define this attitude for yourself, it will be easier for you to remain confident in conversations and not to lose your positive energy.
Find the right level of compassion
Empathetic people have a particularly difficult time dealing with negative people. Those who have too much empathy tend to to take over the feelings of the other person. Your frustration becomes your frustration. Your anger becomes your anger. And as a result, your own mood changes particularly quickly.
Even if we want to show compassion and understanding: Sometimes it helps us and the negative person when we meet to distance yourself emotionally from what is happening. Only then can we give advice and valuable assistance instead of "Right, everything is really terrible " to answer. You may even see something positive in the situation and can steer the conversation in a different direction. And everyone in the group benefits from this.
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Negative people change their minds
Maybe it has happened to you too. When you talk to someone who wants to see everything black, you try to give in positively. What often happens then: Your counterpart blocks and reacts defensively. You get to hear something like: “You don't understand me” or “I see it differently”. A stupid feeling because the conversation then gets stuck.
With a few Communication tricks you can influence every conversation and soothe your counterpart. And then you still manage to turn the conversation into a positive one!
Use these tricks when communicating with negative people:
- show understanding, for example through "I can understand you well". "It will be fine" relativizes the feelings of the other person – nobody who is seriously worried would want to hear that.
- Reflect feelings. "I can understand that you are worried". That feels a lot better than an "oh, don't worry".
- Me instead of you. "I still try to see the matter positively", seems more sympathetic than: "You should see it positively". After all, nobody wants to hear what to do and what not to do.
These communication tips can help steer the conversation in a different direction. In this article we show which communication errors could disturb any conversation and should therefore be avoided.
Negative people: Choose personal responsibility
"She makes me so negative". "She makes me angry". Each of us has at some point blamed other people for our own feelings. This happens particularly quickly with negative people. Our own mood changes after the conversation and we immediately see the culprit in our counterpart.
But one thing we should never forget: We are not helplessly exposed to our reactions and feelings and can take countermeasures! For example, ask yourself, “How else could I react to this situation? Do I really want to allow these negative feelings? ”Don't let others control your mood
By the way: If you are highly sensitive, it is difficult to differentiate your own feelings from others. Here you can find out more about the topic of high sensitivity.
Surround yourself with positivity
Recharge your batteries once, please! If you want to protect yourself against negativity, you should join Surround and share with positive people. If your mood is optimistic and you are in a good mood, you can take negative words much better. Then they can be quickly ticked off and put away. On the other hand, if the day goes bad, negative people are more of a burden.
So: do you pay attention every day to do something good for you and to surround yourself with good? Or is the news running 24/7 in the background, causing a negative mood? Arm yourself against negative thoughts by spending as much time with you as possible hopeful people and inspiring activities spend. Here are a few tips that will make you a little happier every day.
You can find many more tips on the subject of personality in the BRIGITTE Community. Have a look!