Everyone knows negative people. It seems almost impossible to turn on the TV or your phone and see anything other than people being negative somewhere. At this point, negativity is ingrained in our culture and it feels like there’s no hope of separating ourselves from it.
What’s worse is that it’s so easy to give into this negative behavior and become toxic yourself.
So, how do you know when the toxicity of the world has taken over and what should you do about it? Read on to find out!
Refusal to Take Responsibility for Your Feelings
The first thing you need to do is take stock of your feelings. When you get upset or angry, how do you react?
If you tend to blame others for making you feel a certain way instead of taking responsibility for your own thoughts and feelings, you might be one of those negative people in your life.
The next time you get upset, take a second and breathe. Try to focus on how you are responsible for the way you react to things and try to let that knowledge guide the way you behave.
Failure to Apologize
Think back to the last few times you’ve done wrong by someone. It doesn’t matter if you fall under the typical “toxic” category here, it’s hard to do that for anyone. But it’s important to remember whether or not you went out of your way to apologize in a heartfelt way.
If you make it a habit to skip the apology after arguments, it’s time to change that behavior.
Also, saying “I’m sorry that you felt that way” isn’t an apology! You can’t apologize for the way others feel. Take a minute and learn more about how to give a heartfelt apology and start implementing that in your everyday life.
Lack of Interest and Support in Other’s Lives
If your loved ones approach you with excitement or worry about their lives and you don’t respond with some level of enthusiasm or care, you’re contributing to harmful limiting beliefs that can change the way people feel about themselves.
While it’s impossible to care about other people’s lives as much as they do, it’s still important that you make an effort to be involved in the lives of the people you care about.
That’s not to say that you should be fake, but learning how to take an active interest in the lives of those you care about goes a long way toward shedding toxic behaviors.
Manipulation and Judgement
It’s hard for us to admit when we’re being manipulative. But if you shut people out when they don’t do what you want or if you cast yourself as a martyr to get people to do what you want, you’re manipulating people.
Casting judgment is another way you can show that you’re a toxic person. If you find yourself sneering or turning your nose up at someone who lives their lives different than you do, it’s time to reevaluate.
Don’t Let Negative People Rub Off On You
There are already enough negative people in the world, don’t let yourself be one of them. There’s no shame in taking stock of the way you behave and making honest efforts to improve.
As Ram Dass said: “We’re all walking each other home.” Take the time today to make sure that you’re the person that everyone wants to walk with.
If you’re interested in changing your life in all categories, check out this article about eating healthy next!
