5 Ways to Protect Yourself against Other People’s Negativity

Happiness is contagious, but so is negativity, if not faster-catching than happiness is. It is part of being human that we get affected by our surroundings. Besides the change in our mood, we get influenced by that of others. Accordingly, it is important that we protect our energy from the negativity we face every day in different situations. We still want to be there for the people we love, and also it is not an easy option to cut off all the negative people from our lives, especially if it’s a family member, a colleague, or even your manager. This is why you need to learn how to create a protective shield or a bubble to keep you safe from the negative moods of others.

 

1. Minimize exposure.

While this is not applicable in all scenarios, this is an option you can consider. Minimize your exposure to negative people who you don’t have to deal with on daily basis such as colleagues or first-degree family members. For instance, if one of your friends is negative and you are in one of those days where you are already in a bad mood or can’t deal with additional negativity, avoid seeing them. Also, if there is one person who always affects your inner peace, minimize interaction with them as much as possible.

 

2. Prepare yourself mentally and emotionally.

Let’s say you are going out to meet someone who has a negative impact on you, in that case, you must prepare yourself ahead. Remind yourself that their negativity is their issue and not yours. Don’t allow their constant complaining to get under your skin. Shift the negative talk by taking it in another direction with a more cheerful, interesting topic. 

 

3. Don’t make someone else’s negativity your problem.

You need to separate how you feel from what others feel. If someone has a negative take on a certain matter that you feel positive about, remind yourself that this is how they feel not how you feel. Anyone else’s negative mood is not for you to carry nor to fix. 

 

4. Listen but do not engage.

Most of the time people come to us with something that bothers them is not for you to solve it for them, but mainly because they want to vent and feel understood. Allow them to voice their concern without having to carry the weight of their problem on your shoulder unless it is something you can do while protecting your energy.

 

5. Set boundaries.

It is very important that you set healthy boundaries to safeguard your mental well-being. If you know a friend who constantly calls to only complain and whine or a colleague at work who always comes to you with negative vibes, you have all the right to say you cannot have that talk right now. Or, for instance, if another person tries to involve you in solving a heated situation between them and another person but you don’t feel comfortable, you can still refuse politely.