6 Toxic People Who May Be Sabotaging Your Happiness 1- The Person Who Doesnt Like You There are more than 7 billion people in the world, which makes it extremely improbable that were going to get along with every single one. As author Marcia Reynolds, PsyD, points out, not getting along with everyone can actually help you focus on what really matters. The more you can come to accept others as who they are, to resist fixing them or changing their opinions, and to listen with patience and compassion, the more you can move forward with your goals regardless if someone likes you or not, she wrote in a Psychology Today blog post. In order to deal with the people who only find your flaws, Reis recommends focusing on your positives. Keep a journal where you record your values and the ways youre living up to them, he says. 2- The Person With Whom Youve Had A Falling Out Ending a relationship with a friend can be just as heartbreaking as splitting from a romantic partner. The person who was once your strongest confidant suddenly feels like a stranger. But beware if you find yourself breaking your back trying to repair whats been lost. Its human nature to hold onto whats comfortable, and that can include the relationships that have been in our lives the longest. The sad truth is, some friendships arent meant to last -- especially if trying to fix it means sacrificing your emotional well-being. Seek out other people who are more positive and get better experiences from those people, Reis advises. That doesnt mean you have to forget the good times you had, but sometimes the memories -- and not the actual person -- should be all that you keep around. 3- The Person Who Is Constantly Stressed A little venting is OK, but if youre constantly hashing out stressful topics when youre with this person, your health may be taking a hit. Research shows that stress is contagious. When youre around someone who is constantly strung-out, it can trigger your bodys own stress response. Your friends should help you escape or solve your worries, not create more of them. Next time, try switching the subject and highlighting the bright side. The key is to pay attention to your mood, according to Heidi Hanna, author of Stressaholic: 5 Steps to Transform Your Relationship With Stress. The best way to limit the effects of secondhand stress is to become self-protective of your energy, she told Everyday Health. 4- The Person Who Always Argues With You Weve all been around that person who is so outspokenly opinionated, it seems like theyre purposefully trying to disagree with you. Your view on the economy? Invalid. Your restaurant suggestion? So last year. No one wants to be in a constant state of turmoil. In fact, research shows that having frequent quarrels with your partner or friends may be harmful to your health, the BBC reported. Affirm whats important to you rather than relying exclusively on the feedback of other people, Reis explains. Reinforce in yourself the things that are good. This means sticking to your beliefs -- no matter what others might say. 5- The Person Who Uses You Someone cant walk all over you unless you let them, Reis says. If you feel like youre being treated badly, you have the power to improve things. We dont have room in our lives for people who take advantage of us. Helping each other is one thing (studies even show that its good for our health!), but if the favors are one-sided, it might be time to address the situation. Explain in a non-judgmental way whats not working for you, Reis suggests. Try to engage the other person ... Dont make demands, but point out whats problematic. Then try to find a way that it can be improved without having unrealistic expectations of the other person. 6- The Person Who Is A Bad Influence It takes a lot of courage to rid yourself of a bad habit. Reis says that positive relationships keep your best interest at heart, whereas stressful relationships bring out the opposite. If a relationship is toxic, its undermining the things that we know are healthy for us, he explains. People suffer. It could make them unhappy, or the relationship could interfere with the ability to move forward on personal goals. Dont let these relationships push you down the rabbit hole of negative choices. If theyre truly meaningful friends or partners, theyll understand and accept your healthy decisions.
Posted on: Fri, 09 Jan 2015 19:01:39 +0000
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