5 Tips to Stay Positive When Surrounded by Pessimistic People
Do you have someone in your life that has a negative attitude toward everything? The more important question is whether you let that person affect you? Well, you can’t change another person’s point of view, but you can prevent their pessimism from affecting you.
Even though the most logical solution would be to walk away from those people, sometimes it’s not possible. It could be your colleague, your boss, your parent, or your sister.
After spending an hour or two with these people, you feel mentally and emotionally drained. So, what can you do to protect yourself from their pessimism and negative energy?
Here are a few tips to keep your positivity when surrounded by negative people.
5 Tips to Stay Positive When Surrounded by Pessimistic People
1. Spend Some Time Alone
Spending some time alone will give you a chance to change the negative energy you’ve accumulated from different people into a more positive one.
This time will allow you to enjoy a relaxing activity, pursue a hobby, or do any other activity that will make you feel happy and fulfilled. You should treat yourself like you would do with the person you most love.
This is the time when you should be your number one priority.
2. Do Not Take Other People’s Pessimistic Attitude Personality
People who are pessimistic are not even aware of their pessimism. So, it has nothing to do with you, and you shouldn’t make it personal.
Although it’s not easy to stay strong and positive when surrounded by such people, especially if that’s someone close to you, it’s crucial that you realize negativity is not external, but internal. Don’t let it touch you and you won’t be affected by it.
The pessimism could be the water, but you can be the bridge. Let the pessimistic comments disappear the moment they are released. Don’t let yourself bear someone else’s burden!
3. Counterattack with Positivity
This is another thing you can do to prevent yourself from being affected by the negativity of some people. So, if your neighbor keeps on complaining about the weather, try countering them with “The sky looks so pretty, isn’t it?”
Or, if your colleague constantly gives comments like “Your shoes are weird” reply with how beautiful their top is today. When they realize you ignore their negativity, they might give up the negative comments.
4. Release Judgement
Dealing with pessimistic people can be frustrating, but you should always keep your mind open. However, try to understand these people. Maybe they feel something you don’t or have problems in life that are too difficult for them to cope with. So, don’t judge them.
They have their own journey, just like you do. Remember that it’s not their fault if you allow yourself to be influenced by their attitude.
5. Try Honesty
If nothing helps, try being honest with them about how their negativity affects you. Sometimes it helps to open their eyes to the influence their mood and attitude have on other people’s lives.
So, don’t hesitate to pull them aside and tell them how their comments affect you.
We hope these tips will help you to keep your positive attitude when surrounded by negative people, while at the same time improving your relationship.