If you have ever dealt with negative people in your life, you probably know the experience is such a downer. How do you tell a negative person from a positive one? It’s simple. When you talk to them, they talk about their problems endlessly. They seem cynical about almost everything. When they talk about people, you will feel like they doubt everyone’s intentions, and when they are done talking, you might feel drained, like they sucked the life out of you.
Some people encounter negative people more than others, and more often than not, these people can not be ignored. Meaning, you need to find a way to deal with them.
Don’t Engage In The Negativity
One thing for sure is, that negative people tend to harp on all the negativities in their life, exaggerating their problems worsening their situation.
When engaging in conversation with a negative person, offer a listening ear. Make the person feel like they are heard; make sure your body language shows the same. But also make sure to draw a line inside your head. If you feel like making the person feel heard is doing them any good, then continue. But if the person continues to hang on to the same problems after every few conversations, then know it’s time to disengage.
Ask Them To Tell You Something Positive
With a negative person, it is difficult to expect them to say anything positive. After they are done ranting, tell them, “now tell me something positive.” Or “tell me something good that happened to you recently.” Sometimes people forget how negative they’ve become. It has become a way of life for them, and they tend to forget that they do not actually want to be like that. Sometimes a reminder may do better than we may think.
Some people may still react negatively and say something like, “nothing good happened to me today.” You can counteract their negativity by saying something of the sort, “I like to appreciate the little things in life. I truly cherish my morning cup of tea and a good meal.” What good would this do? This might help them realize, that positivity and happiness does not solely revolve around the big things.
Focus On Your Own Energy
Put your feelings before anyone else’s. Hanging out too much with negative people can make you feel low and make you lose all your positive energy and enthusiasm. You must have noticed, how it takes just one person to bring the whole office down, the reverse is also true. Focus on your energy and be enthusiastic!
Learn New Things About Yourself
Many times negative people want to get a reaction out of you by hitting one of your “buttons.” The key is, not to react. Do not give them what they want or they will do it over and over again. Let’s say for example, they might bring up past events that they know will trigger feelings of guilt and emotion inside you. If they do, ask yourself why is it bothering you so much, think it through, over and over, until you find out why and eventually make peace with it. After that the person, who is trying to drain your energy, no longer has power over you.
Know that “energy vampires” will come in and out of your life. The best way is to learn how to deal with them before they appear.
