1) Steer the conversation. If a friend starts being negative, try to steer the conversation in a more positive way. For every negative thing you hear, retaliate with a positive take on the situation. Perhaps the person doesn’t realize just how negative they really are.
2) Avoid gossip. Gossip is a form of negativity. Unfortunately, it’s everywhere. Gossip newspapers line the shelves at the supermarkets. A family calls you with the latest family “news”. A coworker wants to tell you about another coworker. Not only does gossiping waste precious time, it isn’t healthy.
Also avoid celebrity gossip, as this can be just as damaging to your life. Gossip often breeds envy when in reality, you can accomplish things in your life as long as you tear yourself away from the television or gossip magazines.
3) Just say no. If someone is persistently negative around you, don’t be afraid to tell them that you don’t appreciate it. Of course, try to find a diplomatic way to say so. Explain that you generally like to look at life in a positive way and you feel that their comments are damaging.
4) Try to understand. It may help if you try to understand why someone is being negative. Maybe there is something you can do to try to help them? There are many root causes to negativity. These include abusive relationships, discontent, or clinical depression.
Perhaps if they realize that someone generally wants to see them happy, they will change. Don’t invest too much of your energy in this, though. Often, negative people don’t really change because they don’t want to. Trying to help can be just as much of an energy drain as actually listening to their comments.
5) Be positive. If you realize that you have a problem with negativity, don’t try to change all at once. This is a bad habit that can be broken, it just takes time. Start out by promising yourself that you will say one positive thing each day. If you catch yourself thinking something negative about the weather, turn it into a positive, for example. After you get comfortable, say two positive things. Continue increasing until you are free of your habit.