Negativity – 5 Ways to Shield Yourself
Negativity affects your life on every level. It has the power to ruin relationships, decrease work performance, and increase stress levels. The good news is that you can fight it by changing your mindset.
Not sure where to start? Check out these smart, effective ways to shield yourself from negativity:
Don’t Take It Personal
As humans, we tend to act according to the internal lessons we’ve learned from previous life experiences and managing our current environment. Maybe someone took credit for your work in the past, so now you don’t trust them anymore. Don’t let negativity define you. That doesn’t mean everyone will act this way against you or that you should not trust all people in general. It also doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t use intelligent perspective from those earlier circumstances. Don’t expect the negative. We tend to attract what we anticipate.
Don’t take things personally. If someone misjudges you, take decisive action and show who you really are. Be kind and authentic rather than creating conflict or creating stress in your life.
Set Boundaries From Negativity
It doesn’t matter how hard you try, you’ll never please everyone. We live in a world full of new demands and attempts to take advantage. The frequent flow of people stepping into your space can be tiring and undermine your self-confidence, and that keeps you from focusing on your priorities.
Know that it’s appropriate to say No and maintain clear boundaries. If someone reacts negatively or waves their “I’m offended flag,” send them on their way. You are the owner of your boundaries. If they persist in areas that don’t serve you as an individual, the negativity isn’t worth your time or attention.
Choose a Positive Mindset
Even though life gets busy, you can still be grateful for even the small things. If keeping a positive mindset seems challenging, then consider a gratitude journal. You don’t need to write a novel; a paragraph will do…every day. What things or people or situations are positive in your life?
I’m not talking about happiness – I’m talking about the good things in your life like the ability to see, hear, walk, perhaps a favorite pet, having a job, or a home. Many people will tell you they are not happy. They get on the regular treadmill of being beaten up by life and then they struggle to envision happiness. If you do a gratitude journal for 40-days, you’ll start to find happiness. When you begin to acknowledge in your mind the good things, and then take action by writing them down, you make the goodness larger in your life. You are reinforcing positive thinking patterns, reducing negativity, and increasing a sense of happiness.
Your new-found sense of positivity will be an inspiration to others and you’ll strengthen your relationships. When you focus on the good in your life, new opportunities arise.
There are no Problems, only Solutions.
Many people focus on the roadblocks in their way rather than actively seeking a solution. Some people work harder at avoiding the challenge in front of them than their level of effort of overcoming. In their attempt to go around it, they end up in the ditch and stay there. That helps create the negative identity they’ve formed for themselves, and they trudge through life feeling guilty and dissatisfied.
Whenever you see a challenge ahead, take steps to resolve it. There is always a solution and working toward it strengthens you as an individual. Does that mean you’ll be 100% successful? None of us are. Even when we try and fail, we internally know we took action. I’ve seen many times when I failed, and in the process I found better alternatives. The challenge was a path to another success. In the end, you’re sweeping away the negative.
Surround Yourself with Positive People
Avoid people full of negativity who intentionally live in a state of drama. If they don’t add to your life, they might drag you down. When you are positive and kind, you begin to transform those around you in good ways.
Surround yourself with positive people and build relationships with those who encourage and support you. Through those interactions, you strengthen and help each other.
Follow these five steps above and you’ll find happiness and see new opportunities that you might not have seen otherwise.
Some Books to Build Your Positivity
- The Power of Your Attitude: 7 Choices for a Happy and Successful Life
- Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude
- Mindset Mastery: 18 Simple Ways to Program Yourself…
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About the Author
Mr. Davis is the Director at the Center for Personal Leadership and Development. As a Certified Leadership and Success Coach, Accredited Stress Coach, and Natural Health Practitioner, he helps clients reach their goals and live a life of fullness.
For information on Coaching, Contact him here.
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