Defending Yourself From Constant Negativity

If you work closely with other people and have a supervisory role, you are bound to receive complaints on a regular basis. Venting sessions are normal in an office environment or in a situation where many people work together. But, as a manager, your focus must be to address the issue head on and nip the problem in the bud.

You must be careful enough to identify the stage when complaining starts to impediment your work. Some tactics that can be adopted to defend yourself from constant negativity are listed below:

1.     Distance yourself

It is best advised to distance yourself from the complainer, especially if the person has the habit of spreading constant negativity. You must consider the complainer as a chain smoker, and try to keep away from the person. You could either excuse yourself by walking away or get on the phone when you encounter a habitual complainer. Though it might not be easy in the beginning, but in the long run, making a conscious decision to filter out negativity from your life will do wonders for your brain.

2.     Try to fix the problem

You must encourage the complainer to go ahead and find a solution to the problem. You must talk your way to motivate the complainer to take responsibility for fixing the problem and finding a solution. You can also confront the complainers by asking them about what they have done to solve the issue. In most cases, habitual complainers will walk away as all they look for is a group of people around them who can empathize with their situation. Only the people you are actually looking for solutions will try to take onus for finding a solution to fix the problem.

3.     Hide behind an imaginary shield

If you are badly trapped in a complaining session and there is no way out, then you can shut your brain off by imagining about a protective shield around yourself in which you cannot let anyone in. You can mentally think about a place that you want to be in or cover yourself in an invisibility cloak. These are some simple mental tricks that you can play if you are stuck in an inescapable negative environment.

The main idea behind adopting all these strategies is not to encourage your team or colleagues to hide their negative developments. It could have an adverse effect on your business. Venting sessions should be encouraged but only till the point that they do not start affecting your work. If you consciously decide to adopt the right filters and propagate the idea of solving small problems, it will go a long way in creating a healthy and positive environment around you. Your team members too will focus their energy and efforts in getting their work done in a productive environment.