3 Tips to Curb Negativity

I am a positive person.  And hopefully, for the most part, we have a positive work environment.  But regardless of your attitude, place or work or family situation, you will encounter negativity.  And if you don't believe in the Law Of Attraction, watch a person come into a room with a venomous attitude and you will see it get reflected in a hurry!

Sometimes I deal with it better than others.

As a father of two (essentially) teenage daughters, I know there will be times that they will have that "negativity bug."  I am pretty sure I had it at 15 quite regularly!  Unfortunately, sometimes I act as the "mirror."  So when I get negativity, I reflect that emotion back and we have an unending (and non-productive) cycle. 

And that gets us nowhere.

So here are my (recently inspired) Tips For Curbing Negativity. 

1)  Take a Breath:  As I mentioned, so many times when someone comes at us with a hurricane of negativity, we blast back.  Stephen Covey taught us that there is a space between an action and a reaction that only we own.  Take a breath and consider.  Just a small hesitation can sometimes help to diffuse the situation.  It also gives us a moment to be more thoughtful in our response.

2)  Consider the Source:  Is this a person who normally is positive?  Or are they one of those people that always are like this?  Some people need to blow off steam and then they are fine.  Consider them as individuals...and it might help to plot your next move.

3)  Try To Figure Out The Root:  A fight with a spouse can sometimes lead to a blow up on someone else entirely.  Maybe this person is just stressed out about something else.  Figuring out what is REALLY wrong can sometimes be a great guide on how to deal with them.

Bonus:
4)  Don't be Afraid To Walk Away...For the Moment:  This is not about "walking away" for good and letting someone walk all over you.  Quite the contrary.  I do believe that people treat you how you train them to treat you.  But if you want to have control over your own response (and therefore have an intelligent one) you might need to walk away for the moment.  This is like an extended Take a Breath.

By breaking the Cycle of Negativity we can create a more productive environment...whether its your work place or your home (with teenage daughters).