Avoid Negative People

by Ruaidhri Horan, Marketing Manager, Abrivia Recruitment

Negative people can cause you to doubt yourself, which in turn can hinder you in achieving your career goals. Negativity may cause you to lose focus as you expend, or waste your energy on negative thoughts, which in turn drags you down.

Sometimes it is impossible to avoid negative people. You don’t have the option to cross the road or avoid eye contact if the source of negativity is your boss or someone in your household. If this is the case, try and negate their continuous negativity by surrounding yourself with positive friends and try understand the source of their negativity. Change the topic of conversation to lighter topics when you realise that someone is about to launch into a tirade of negativity.

Be mindful of your responses to negative people as you don’t want your responses to escalate into an argument. Of course, if they are a life-long friend, for example, I don’t advocate you developing a heart of stone. Concentrate on their positive traits and, if possible, remain positive and make a conscious decision to avoid their negativity.
Of course, show compassion and offer an attentive ear if something major has occurred in their life, as “a friend in need is a friend indeed”. However, if your colleague or boss is continuously negative, try and understand their motivation and make a concerted effort to remain positive.

Positivity will not only help you achieve your career milestones but will greatly enhance your chances of attaining your ultimate career goals.