Dealing with Negativity & Unnecessary Criticism

Last updated on April 6th, 2021 at 12:57 am

Nora strikes me as the type of person who sees the opportunities that life presents and seizes them as soon as possible.

So far, our paths have only met once—I first met Nora after a very long day full of work, meeting new Tweeples and attending a recording of the Nat & Marie Show.

Enjoy her post on negativity and unnecessary criticism—I know that it’s something we all have to deal with at some time!

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Is anyone around you always dragging you down? Or is there someone who is never happy or congratulating you for good news? Or even falsely praising you? You know what I mean – they pretend to be happy for you, but they’re really not (sometimes easily giving it away through body language, mood changes or facial expressions.) Well, I—and more recently, a couple of my friends—have had to deal with these kinds of people, which inspired me to write this blog post and shed some light on how to deal with them (with their permission & names remaining anonymous.)

Of course, we all know that it is too easy to get into a negative mindset, and once we do, it’s so hard to crawl back out and make it positive. My friends’ surroundings were bringing them down and they were constantly sucked into others’ darkness because it was so easy to complain or blame others. Eventually and fortunately, they got sick of this habit and wanted to change – get rid of this toxic atmosphere. We’ve all been there and know what it’s like. Yet sadly, most people are not aware that we subconsciously allow negative thoughts to rule our minds and make us feel unempowered.

So what can you do? How can you avoid being sucked into darkness and crawl out? (These are simply my own suggestions that have been applied by my friends.)

Be aware of the negative thoughts that harbor your mind – be aware of it on a conscious level

Ignore unconstructive & unnecessary criticism – don’t accept it (just walk away)

If your friends are bringing you down – then you should:

1. Really question if they are your friends, or
2. Maybe they are going through the same phase as you are and not simply being mean

However, if your friends are going through the same struggles, they have to want to crawl out of the negative surroundings themselves. You can’t force them.

Surround yourself with a positive environment, and since summer is here – get sun-kissed/get some of that loving Vitamin D (as Vitamin D Deficiency is Linked With Depression) [ed note: but make sure to stay protected while doing so!]

Most importantly, every morning when you wake up, consciously say to yourself (or better yet, say it out loud) “I will not accept any negativity today”, “I will have a great day today” (with an emphasis on “today”).

I have suggested this to my friends who have adopted this habit and started to notice a difference in their daily lives this past week. Once you start adopting this, you will become consciously aware of your thoughts, your actions, and reactions to any negativity that comes your way. You will then know how to better react to those certain situations, when to act and when to ignore. So go ahead and give it a try, even if it is just for one day. Just experiment and see if it makes an impact in your life – an impact for the better.

I’ve also personally made this a habit into my daily routine after I got hit with a negative criticism since becoming more consciously aware of my thoughts and reactions. When I thought about it more, everything made more sense to me. Maybe I’m exaggerating a bit… or even a lot… but it almost felt like a revelation in a way. Since then, I’ve haven’t looked back and now have better days.

So go ahead and change your outlook by making that conscious decision every morning. And next time you see any negativity or unnecessary criticism heading towards you, ignore it, and walk away. Because you deserve better.

“That which does not kill us makes us stronger.”
~ Friedrich Nietzsche

Empower your life,

@NTDF

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