Photo by dominik hofbauer on Unsplash

Unless you’re from another planet, chances are there’s a negative person in your life who constantly complains. It might be a colleague, friend, or family member. 

This negative person could be someone who constantly complains about their job, is never satisfied or happy, can’t be pleased, creates drama, or gossips about their friends. 

Destructive energy and depressing drama hangover negative people like a gloomy cloud. It’s easy to be sucked into their vortex of hopelessness and negativity if you are not careful, keeping you from reaching your goals and unlocking your best life.

Be careful of negative influences and the downward, depressing pressure exerted on your life because they can make you unhappy with your job, marriage, and life in general. 

Einstein said, “Stay away from negative people. They have a problem for every solution.”

That’s easier said than done. And while we can’t avoid all negative people, we can certainly resist their influence.  

Here are three ways you can deal with negative people. 

Have Boundaries and Don’t Be Afraid To Use Them!

Set limits and distance yourself from the negative person to buffer yourself from their negativity.

You cannot control their pessimistic perspective and resulting negative behavior. Still, you can control to what degree you will engage in their negativity and to what extent you will allow it into your thoughts and feelings. 

Limit the amount of time you spend with them. You can also maintain a level of detachment as a firewall of protection against their negativity while interacting with them. You can shield yourself from their negative influence by remaining emotionally neutral or detached from the conversation. 

At the very least, do not encourage or fuel their negativity. Find something positive within them to affirm; encourage them. Remind them of their talents and strengths to help them become aware that they are more powerful and capable than they realize.  

Avoid Complainers 

Complainers are like garbage trucks that back up and dump their smelly negativity all over you.

If possible, avoid people who complain. They find fault with everything and tend to blame everyone for their problems. There are two types of people in the world: those who count their blessings and those who count their burdens.  

If you get caught up in a conversation with someone who is a chronic complainer, listen graciously for a while, then let them know you have something you need to take care of and excuse yourself graciously.

The exception to this might be a parent or very close family member who is lonely and isolated and might be starving for social connection. Try to understand the dynamics of the situation and why they might think and feel the way they do. You can love on them without allowing their negativity into your life.

Be Aware 

Be aware, but don’t overthink the situation. Negative people can be irrational, so don’t expend too much energy trying to “fix” them or make sense of their actions. There could be things lurking deep beneath the surface that are causing them to behave this way.

Don’t become attached to their problems, negativity, or baggage; remain detached to protect your perspective and peace of mind. 

It’s Your Call

You’re in charge of your happiness and maintaining a healthy well-being. Pessimism is poison. Keeping negative people at arm’s length, avoiding them when possible, and excusing yourself graciously from their conversations and behavior protects your heart, mind, and soul; it protects your family and marriage, too. 

And guess what? By maintaining an optimistic outlook, seeing the silver lining, counting your blessings, and seeing the best in people and situations, you’ll be the last person negative people want to be around because they simply will not enjoy your company. 

Decide today to be a positive force for good. Be someone who models optimism in every area of your life, starting with your friends and family.