How to OVERCOME THE NEGATIVITY AROUND YOU

Not getting a positive response to your self-improvement efforts? Resist the temptation to deliver your best Issa-from- Insecure bathroom rap clapback and instead try to understand where the criticism is coming from. Maybe your friend feels like she won’t be able to relate to you anymore or your BFF has been wanting to make a move to her dream city but keeps chickening out and is therefore resentful of your decision, says Toronto-based relationship therapist Natasha Sharma. These responses, while not cool, are normal. Humans are wired to avoid change—our brains are lazy. There’s also evidence that our pack-animal instincts kick in when these types of changes occur. “The further away someone moves from the ‘pack,’ the more of a threat they represent,” says Sharma. That said, we’re definitely not suggesting you have to live with this behaviour. “Tell friends and family who push back that while you appreciate and respect that they have their own opinions, it is unfair [for you] to be subjected to negativity or judgment,” says Sharma. “For individuals whom you are close to, if they have real concerns about a big change you’re looking to make, hear them out. For all the other naysayers: In one ear, out the other.”