3 Ways to Handle a Negative Situation
As I am sure you can imagine, living with negativity results in unhappiness. So how do you deal with negativity? Life gives us three choices to handle negative situations, you can either change, leave, or accept it. In the post, learn about life’s 3 choices to handle ANY situation that gets thrown at you!
What is Negativity?
Simply, negativity is the expression of pessimism or criticism. Those who are negative tend to be critical, disagreeable, and skeptical. Being a negative person brings loneliness as most people choose to disengage from those with a bad attitude. Additionally, engaging with negative people and negative situations causes feelings of anxiety and emotional drainage. Sometimes, the energy of negativity resides within you if you are holding a grudge. As I am sure you can imagine, living with negativity results in unhappiness. So how do you deal with negativity? There are 3 ways to handle a negative situation: leave it, change it, or accept it.
Change it
One way to handle a negative situation is to change it. This option can be a little tricky because you either have to change the situation itself or make the adjustment within yourself. For example, if you’re having problems in your relationship, talk to your partner about what is bothering you and if they are willing to adjust and change? If your partner does not want to change or can only meet you halfway, then ask yourself if YOU are willing to adjust to your partner’s needs and/or patterns?… I am assuming that your partner is the problem in this situation BUT I strongly encourage that you do some heavy self-reflection and own up to your faults, IF any, because how can you expect someone to own up to their mistakes if you can’t own up to yours?
The most important thing to remember about this is option is to keep YOUR boundaries as overstepping your boundaries is not healthy! If you haven’t set your boundaries you must do this BEFORE you choose this option. To set your boundaries, you have to look deep within, be COMPLETELY honest with yourself about what you are willing to change and accept, then stay true to that self-promise.
Leave it
Another option to handle a negative situation is to leave it, let it go, and move on. For example, if the negative situation you are in is your work environment, you may want to find a new job altogether. If your negative situation is a person, you may want to disengage with that person and completely remove yourself from that situation. Almost every negative situation will come with the option to leave…unless you are being held hostage or something horrible like that (which I wish no one would ever have to experience), you will always have the option to leave any negative situation.
Of course, to leave a situation, especially with someone you love and care for, can be extremely hard to decide, cope with, and heal from. Sometimes, leaving is the only option you are left with if you can not change or accept the circumstances. Trust me when I tell you, although it is hard and you feel like you are not going to make it, you absolutely will. Remember that is only hard for a little bit then it gets better. Once all that toxic energy has left your space you will see things VERY clearly and wonder how you ever stayed in that situation for as long as you did. The key to this option is to stay strong, focused, and positive about your decision.
Accept it
If you can’t leave or change a negative situation then your only option is to accept it for what it is. This isn’t easy to do but when it’s your only option you’ll learn how to cope and make the best of it. Acceptance of a situation that you are currently not happy with is difficult but once you have come to peace with whatever it is, you will have a sense of self-growth. To accept is to grow and mature as it forces you to face your anxieties, worries, and fears. You will know when you have fully accepted the situation when it no longer feels heavy, upsetting, and frustrating.
Self-reflection and self-discovery are the keys to this choice because you need to commit to healing in order to come to terms with the situation at hand. You have to get to the core root of the problem and really understand why it bothers you so much and the best way for YOU to come to terms. To do this, you MUST be honest with yourself and keep an open mind and heart.
Final Thoughts
Before you make any decision, always weigh your options and look at the situation as a whole. Do what is best for YOU in your specific situation – this means understanding completely all factors and reflecting with a reasonable mindset.