Freedom from negativity

Make an effort to notice the good things people do and are capable of

At some point in life, we can all expect to find ourselves face to face with someone that doesn’t appear to have a single positive thought to share. Interactions with negative people will generally leave you feeling drained, so knowing how to approach these situations is important. In these moments, during these interactions, what we decide to do with the negativity we receive from others is crucially important. If you know someone who is cynical and a little mean, here are a few tips you might find useful the next time you meet them.

◗ Identify the negative people, sometimes a usually happy person is just having a bad day ( it happens to the best of us!) and bad days do not mean bad people.

◗ Do not feed the trolls. Although this terminology usually refers to pranksters on the Internet, it’s largely the same idea. Engaging in the conversation and encouraging more of the same behaviour will not help! Try changing the subject to lighter topics.

◗ Offer support if they seem to be facing problems, but set clear boundaries. Their problems are not yours and you are not responsible for their mood. If you find that these interactions have a negative impact on your happiness, cut down the amount of time you spend together.

◗ Don’t take their negativity personally, you must understand that their outlook is such that it is difficult for them to be positive in general, so if they seem to be passing negative comments your way pay no attention, they rarely mean harm — they just have a different perspective than you do.

◗ Being one- on- one with someone negative can sap your energy surprisingly quickly, so try hanging out with them when you’re in a group.

◗ Try and look at that person with new eyes, perhaps they’re not as bad as you think they are — sometimes when we notice the bad habits someone has it becomes difficult to ignore them and soon that’s all we see. Make an effort to notice the good things that they do and are capable of.

◗ Be sensitive. It is easy to think that people that are negative have a hard exterior but just like everyone else they are inclined to feeling lonely and isolated.

◗ Like attracts like, so try showing them your own positivity and share your views with them when you can. Sometimes negative people are stubborn, but sow the seeds of optimistic ideas and be patient!

◗ In the worst-case-scenario, if the negative person in your life is beyond your help and is making you unhappy, drop all ties with them. This isn’t something you should feel guilty for, you are responsible for your own joy as they are for theirs, so as long as you believe that you tried and did your best, know that you did what you had to do to maintain control of your happiness.

Coming across people who have nothing good to say can be a draining experience, here’s how you can handle the situation wisely

It is also important to be aware of any signs of depression. If you suspect that someone is in need of help because they are depressed or selfharming, speak to them ( or someone) about getting help. On the other hand, if you feel like you have a tendency to be the negative person in a group and you actively want to shift your perspective, here are a few things you can begin with:

◗ Don’t dwell on the bad things, by giving them too much thought we tend to make them much bigger than they actually are, focus on the positive — even if it seems difficult to find. There is typically always an upside to a seemingly bad situation — and if there truly isn’t an upside, move on! Learn from them and then leave them behind.

◗ Believe in the power of positive thinking, thoughts become words, words become actions, actions become habits and our habits define us. Wouldn’t it make sense to start off with positive thoughts then, instead of negative ones? The writer is an astrologer

and Vastu expert