3 Ways to Cope with Negativity

Everyone has to deal with Eeyore's, but how can you do that cheerfully?

I'm not a huge Winnie the Pooh fan. Calm down. No need for pitchforks or rotten tomatoes. I'm not here to disparage the silly old bear. I mention him because despite my overall aversion to Pooh, there is one thing I do admire about the character. He not only puts up with Eeyore's negativity, but manages to turn it around into something positive.

Let's face it…everyone has an Eeyore in their life. The naysayer. The gloom and doom spreader. The one who can't seem to find a good thing to say about you. Ever. There's just no escaping negative people. And yet, we can all learn a lesson from Pooh.

Positivity.

Here are some ways to cope when the Eeyore in your life rains on your parade…

Look for the good in the bad.

This means you'll have to actually listen to the criticism in order to find the good, and that's hard to do. In fact, it's often impossible to do right away. Give it some time, then revisit whatever negative feedback it was that you received.

Don't make a mountain out of a mole hill.

Life doesn't have to be that serious. In fact, humor is a perfect anti-negativity tool to have in your life-skills toolbox. Not everything needs to be made a big deal of. Really. Changing your perspective is often the most freeing way to disarm a negative person.

Criticism isn't always about you.

We take things personally all the time, but sometimes it's not about us. It's about the other person. Sometimes people lash out at others because they're having a bad day or suffering from some catastrophic event that we know nothing about. Give the Eeyore in your life the benefit of the doubt.

It takes practice to stay positive, especially during harsh criticism. Try using one or all three of these ideas next time an Eeyore rants about you.