Here are some ideas to help you deal with negative people. You can treat someone’s negative energy as a prompt to bring a little more positivity to the moment.
Negative people will always be around, so here are four ideas for dealing with them:
- Use their energy. Use this experience as a personal challenge to stay centered and remain in charge of your own energetic and emotional levels. Let negativity be a cue to breathe and challenge yourself. Rather than allowing someone’s negativity to reduce you to the victim role, let it remind you that you are in command of your own thoughts and emotions.
- Empathize. We really don’t know someone’s entire story. Isn’t it true that we all have bad days? Don’t you get negative once in a while? If so, then instead of getting mad or fighting, seek to understand what someone is facing or going through. That’s how we tap into our own humanity and compassion, and compassion often softens the moment.
- Shift it. Instead of pointing out someone’s negative energy, you can use tools like humor, appreciation and playfulness to shift the energy. This may help the person you’re dealing with, and it can also build your own leadership skills.
- Enroll them. Instead of blaming or labeling “negative” people in hopes of making them change, you can simply make a direct request. Ask that they bring more awareness to their energy in order to improve your relationship and time together. Invite them to share responsibility for the direction and tone of your relationship.
Video: “How to Deal With Negative People” by Brendon Burchard, from his YouTube channel (Brendon.com).
