Negative people are like second hand-smoke

An article in Psychology Today says “negativity is like second-hand smoke. It not only permeates the room but has dire health consequences for those unfortunate enough to be in its path.”

Negative people are ‘Debbie Downers’, as my friend Pam describes them.  With their pessimism, anxiety and distrust, negative people dampen the mood of everyone around them. No fun.

Negative people have the uncanny ability to find fault with everything. If they go to a fancy restaurant they completely overlook the good food, great service, fantastic company and nice ambiance. Instead the gripe about the cost.   When you talk about your dreams and ambitions rather than being supportive, the negative person rhymes off all the reasons why your venture will fail.  Negative people also tend to distrust others. They have a litany of complaints about their neighbours, friends, relatives, you name it.

According to neuroscientists, negativity is linked to increased stress and unhappiness. Basically negativity breads more negativity. It’s a hard cycle to break.

So, what do you do if you have a negative Nelly in your life?  Well, according to the experts there isn’t much that will pierce their armour of doom and gloom. Dr.  Raj Raghunathan has a few suggestions but don’t expect a quick fix. The doctor suggests:

1. Be compassionate. Don’t bother lecturing negative people about their bad attitudes as they are adverse to critical feedback.  It just fuels their belief the world is against them. So, the best you can do is try to be compassionate.  Think about it, going through life only see the bad in everything can’t be much fun. And remember,  you only have to deal with the negative person for a short period of time. She has to live with herself. 

2. Be perseverant. Don’t let their gloomy outlook stand in your way. Despite their gloomy forecast go after your dreams, take calculated risks, trust in others. If their constant barrage of complaints gets you down, then limit the amount of time you spend with them.

3.  Be positive. If you want the negative person to turn their frown upside down,  then be a role model of positivity.  Point out all  the good in life.  Maybe, eventually, hopefully they will stop believing that ‘life is like a bowl of cherries, it’s full of pits.”

Studies show, people who say “YES” to life are the happier for it. That doesn’t mean they won’t falter or fail, but it does mean they will get up, dust themselves off and try again because they retain their optimism. So, don’t let the gloomy people get you down. Believe in yourself and your dreams and go for it!

QUESTION:  HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH NEGATIVE PEOPLE?

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