Maybe it’s because you were raised to be polite, or maybe you’re a sensitive soul. But, it’s not okay to take blame and guilt for things you didn’t do, or feel shame for who or what you are. Negative people not only send out bad energy vibes, but they also negatively influence other’s thoughts and actions. So, here are some tips to protect against negativity.

Know what is or isn’t your energy.

Personal energy is easy to keep track of when you’re alone. But, in a group setting, personal energies get tangled. When someone is negative and you tend to be positive, that energy entanglement brings into your aura negative “ticks”. These energy ticks can be a feeling of restlessness, anxiety, irritability, anger, or shame. You’ll feel like you’re walking through thick air, or your body will be heavy and tired.

One way to know if those negative feelings are really yours or if they belong to someone else, is to check your boundaries. If you know this isn’t how you felt coming into the situation, then you have someone’s energy strand hooked into you. Or, if you know had you anxiety and trepidation before, take a realistic measure of how much of that anxiety is yours and how much has been added. Negative people tend to pile onto others negative energy. So, make sure you know what energy is yours and which ones aren’t.

Keep your boundaries.

There are many ways to keep your boundaries. Before you enter a group setting, make sure you take inventory of your emotional and mental state. How are your feeling? What are your thoughts about the people you’ll be meeting? Do you have the necessary mental and emotional tools to keep yourself safe? Is there a person who can act as back up and take you out of the situation?

Once you’re with the group, recognize negative people or energies. Stay away from them. Or, leave the situation. There’s no shame in walking away from negativity. Remember, negativity has as much energy as positivity, so your boundary will probably bend or cave inwards. There are mental exercises you can do to bring your boundary back into proper shape. Imagine a psychic protection barrier around yourself that no negative energy can pierce. Or do a mental counting game. If your brain focuses on you instead of others, you’ll be able to better regroup emotionally and reset your boundaries.

Tell your brain to stop focusing on the negative.

One negative comment or action can fill a person’s entire thoughts and bring mood crashing down. That’s because the brain reacts to things it sees as threat. It focuses in on them cause it wants to protect you. Only, when its a comment, the brain doesn’t quite know how to protect you. You have to reorganize your thinking process so that when something negative is said, you don’t focus in on it alone. Recognize that it’s only one negative among many more positives.

This process is called mindfulness. It trains your brain to think in the present, not carry hangovers from the past, and not bring worry or anxiety into the future.

Leaving is always an option.

You can’t solve everything. You can’t please everyone. So, if the air is toxic or you are finding yourself entangled in someone’s negativity, the simplest solution is to leave. It’s a good solution. There is no shame in walking out on a negative person. Walking away can save you lots of mental and emotional pain.

The problem with negative people is they don’t recognize or refuse to recognize their negativity. They will blame others for their bad behaviour. They don’t take personal responsibility. So, it’s very hard to deal logically with someone like that. Energetically, it sucks away your power, draining you of energy. Mentally, you start to believe you’re a bad person, when you really are a good person.

Remember, you have your own power as a positive person. Take charge of yourself and see your positivity spread to others.

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