Negativity is everywhere. Every day negativity assaults you from what you see or read in the news to coworkers whispering malicious gossip to you and family members complaining about one another. Negative prattle is so common that a day filled with it is a good day. Being surrounded by constant streams of negativity causes you to believe that this the normal state of the world. As a result, you can’t help but join the chorus and contribute in kind.
The more negativity you surround yourself with, the more negative you become. As a result, you can’t help but join the chorus and contribute in kind. It messes with your mindset and makes you feel drained. That’s why it is imperative to regulate how much time you allow negative sources to fill your day. Most importantly, regulate those who seem chronically critical, belligerent, indignant, angry, or just plain rude.
How do you maintain a positive perspective when surrounded by repeatedly negative people? How do you react in a way that doesn’t reinforce their negativity, or worse, adopt their viewpoint altogether?
Attract more positivity into your life with these ten tips.
- Cut off the negative forces that feed you. Limit the scrolling of your news and social media feeds. Limit the number of toxic friends and relationships you are maintaining.
- Practice gratitude. Start with the smallest of things like having a bed, soft sheets, the unconditional love of a pet, or simply that you woke up this morning.
- Force a smile. Smiling for a few seconds changes your brain chemistry because it releases serotonin and dopamine, which improves your mood.
- Hit the road, Jack. Taking a walk is a cheap and reliable way to improve your mood. Additionally, exercise improves your outlook on the world. It increases serotonin and endorphins.
- Create distance. Surround yourself with more positive influences than negative ones. You have the power to pick and choose whom and with what you are spending your time. Consider your options wisely to increase your positivity.
- Don’t argue or get sucked into the drama of negative people. Decrease the time spent with these people, don’t engage, and walk away.
- Recognize when negativity is creeping into your life. Signs of this include predicting the future, making broad generalizations, and catastrophizing small events.
- Stop pretending you can read minds. Nothing accelerates your fears and anxiety more than making assumptions. Your thoughts are your thoughts, and they are not always real circumstances.
- Replace negative thoughts with positive ones. Whenever you think negatively about a person or situation, write down three positives. Create as many positive spins as you can to start retraining your mind to maintain balance.
- Make a mantra out of “thank you.” Saying thank you does more than acknowledge kindness. It makes you feel better as much as it does the other person. When someone does the smallest thing for you, tell them how grateful you are.
The more negativity you surround yourself with, the more negative you become. Negativity makes you feel unpleasant, and it is unproductive. It takes practice to stop negativity but reducing it is the only way to have a positive outlook on life. When you successfully balance the negative and positive forces, you will be able to live a more fulfilling and purposeful life.
