How do you politely deal with negative people?

You would have come across that one person sometime in your life who always has something negative to say, be it about work, friends, or even something as small as the weather. It might be a friend, colleague, or neighbour. They might be so negative that after a point of time just seeing them drains you of energy. Such people possess the unique talent of spreading their negativity far and wide. Whatever conversation they engage in ultimately ends up in a gloomy take on things. Chances are that these people might have gone through a few unpleasant events in their lives that have made them the way they are.

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Here are a few responses and tips to deal with those people who add drama and negativity wherever they go:

Help them see the bright side

This might even annoy the complainers. When someone is whining about something, they usually want the other person to be in line with them and look at it from their perspective. However, to help them actually deal with it you could always ask them about what good things they could gain from the situation or what they finally learnt from it.

Praise them for their positive aspects

Negative people often feel negative about themselves. They feel they aren’t good at anything. Recognising their talents and traits and pointing them out to them will make them feel better. Initially, they might even feel uncomfortable taking a compliment, but overtime they will learn to respect and appreciate themselves.

Ask them how they generally handle such a situation

If someone constantly complains without looking for a solution to a problem, then try asking him or her how would they handle such a situation. This will put them into a ‘problem solving mode’ and compel them to think about how matters can be taken into their hands. They will surely think about it and not say there isn’t a solution to the situation.

Frame a positive network

Develop a group of friends who are positive. Surrounding yourself with people who are positive will help you deal with the others. Once you come across people who try to suck out the positivity in you, you can always go back to your positive support system to not get drained out.

Offer to help

There might not be much that you can do about the venter’s situation. However, stepping up to offer help will lead to the end of the negative discussion. The venter might refuse, in which case you could transition to a topic that is more interesting.

Reduce interacting with them

And finally, if nothing else seems to work the best option would be to reduce your interaction with them. After all, you do not want negativity to gradually rub onto you!

Now that you have got a few pointers on how to deal with negativity, you don’t have to run in the opposite direction in case you come across that drama queen or king. Stay relaxed and focus on what you are doing!