Daily Tips from The Marriage Library
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7 Ways to Deal with the Negative People in your Life - Part 2
 
By Lori Radun
 
Summary of this article
 
We all know a chronically negative person and we all get cranky ourselves sometimes. Here's some tips for that. Today is Part 2 of 2.
 
Jim 
7 Ways to Deal with the Negative People in your Life - Part 2

By Lori Radun

Have you ever been faced with trying to stay positive when others around you are negative? Negative people can be a challenge to be around. They will bring you down and drain your energy. A negative person can throw your best laid plans to be positive right out the window.
 
Whether your child or spouse has an occasional negative day or you deal with a family member, friend or co-worker that is chronically negative, there are things you can do to remain positive in the face of negativity.

Tips 1 to 3 were yesterday.
 
4. Ask Negative People to Elaborate

You may hear a negative person say things like: "Women are fickle." "You can't trust doctors." "My husband makes me miserable." These kinds of statements are a type of cognitive distortion referred to as generalizations.
 
To help a person sort through her distorted thinking, ask for more specifics. Questïons like "Which women are fickle?" or "What specifically about your husband is making you miserable?" forces a person to evaluate what he or she is really trying to say. A negative person will either give up because it
takes too much effort to explain himself, or he or she will get to the bottom of the issue.

5. Detach and Avoid Trying to Change the Negative Person

Learning to detach emotionally from a negative person can greatly benefit you and the other person. A negative person will fight you if you try to change them. If you want, you can try a little reverse psychology and agree with everything she says.
 
I once read a great article about a mother who was exasperated with her son's negative mood. Everything she tried to soothe him and make him feel better backfired. She finally gave up and started agreeing with everything he said. When her son told her his friends were mean, she agreed with him. When he complained that his teacher didn't know anything, she couldn't agree more. After several minutes of this kind of dialogue with her son, his mood suddenly shifted. He declared that he was tired and he went to bed with a smile on his face.

6. Stay Away from Negative People

If you have negative people in your life that are critically affecting your mental and physical health, you need to evaluate whether or not you want these people in your life. Some people are so chronically negative that you have no other choice but to remove them from your life. It's possible to do that with friends. You can find another job if your boss or other co-workers are bringing you down.
 
Other people, such as children and spouses, are difficult to remove from your life. In this instance, professional counseling may be the answer. To protect your well being, you need to enforce very strong boundaries with negative people.

7. Keep Your Own Negative Thoughts and Behaviors in Check

If you do nothing else but focus on managing your own negative thoughts and behavior, you will come a long way towards remaining positive. A negative attitude is contagious, but a positive attitude is infectious as well.
 
Hang out with positive people that encourage you to be your best self. Use positive affirmations to overcome negative self-talk. Express your gratitude for all the positive things in your life.

Take the time everyday to watch all the beautiful things going on around you. Read inspirational material and listen to joyful music. Take care of yourself spiritually.
 
Do whatever you have to do to remain positive and happy despite the negativity you face.
 
The world will be a better place because of you and your attitude. And you never know, you just might help a negative person make a change to a better way of living.
 
About the Author:
Lori Radun, CEC, is a certified life coach and founder of True to You Life Coaching. She is also the mother of two boys. Lori's coaching practice is centered on mothers and is focused on helping them to live fulfilling lives while they raise their children to be happy, healthy, and well-adjusted adults.
 
Lori does this through speaking engagements, personal coaching, and other coaching products. Her free newsletter, and the special report, "155 Things Moms Can Do to Raise Great Children," are available on her Web site at http://www.true2youlifecoaching.com.
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God bless your marriage and family.
 
Jim Stephens
 

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Jim Stephens
The Marriage Library