Handling difficult situations can be taxing– handling difficult people is even more so. So how do entrepreneurial people deal with these type of negative forces?
They get smart, that’s how! It just takes a little bit of control and positive energy, really. Here are ten ways smart people respond in the face of toxic situations/people. Travis Bradberry writes these wonderful life tips for Entrepreneur.com and we just had to share them with you.
- “They set limits.” Toxic people tend to go on and on about their problems. You know the type– the ‘oh woe is me’ people. When you spend too much time listening to other people’s wallowing, you’re bound to get dragged down. Now, we’re not saying that you should become all selfish and never listen to someone else’s problem ever again, just that you should be wary of the time you spend engaging in such negative conversation. You can only be a positive force for so long with people hell bent on staying negative. Set limits and avoid the pity party when necessary.
- “They rise above.” The best advice we have ever received is to just let the little things go. You’ve probably heard of the saying, “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” Well it’s the best damn advice anyone can give you. When you spend all your time harboring hate, anger, frustration, etc. when it comes to the smaller stuff, you’ll have no energy left to handle the big problems. Rise above the toxicity and just move past that empty emotion. If you need to distance yourself from that person to do so, you should.
- “They stay aware of their emotions.” Someone once told me to sit in my emotions and not shy away from them. Be aware of what you are feeling and why you’re feeling that way and you won’t lash out in resentment or untethered anger. If someone is a trigger for you, but you bottle up all of your feelings, you won’t be prepared when they inevitably push your buttons.
- “They establish boundaries.” This is along the same lines as setting limits. Just because you work- or exist- in close proximity to someone, doesn’t mean you boundaries go out the window. Nobody can read minds– you have to set the expectation if you want to be treated a certain way.
- “They don’t die in the fight.” Pick and choose your battles. Sometimes it’s just not necessary to have that knock down, drag out fight to the metaphorical death. Sometimes you have to put the gloves down and live to fight another day… so to speak.
- “They don’t focus on problems– only solutions.” A solution-oriented mind is the one that will actually get shit done. When you focus on problems only, you’ll never figure out how to solve what’s bothering you. Where you put your thoughts and energy is where you’ll see results. Be POSITIVE and you’ll go far.
- “They don’t forget.” Learning to forgive can be difficult, but intellectual people tend to forgive much faster– probably because they just have better things to focus on. That being said, you don’t have to be naive to forgive. It’s okay to give second chances, but don’t let yourself get taken advantage of when it comes to toxic relationships.
- “They squash negative self-talk.” What did we say about positivity? Oh that’s right, it’s the be-all-end-all when it comes to handling difficult people and situations. Don’t let the negativity of those around you affect the way you see yourself. Don’t let negative self-talk seep into your mind and poison your own productive and positive mindset.
- “They get some sleep.” People need sleep. It’s a time for recharging ourselves and learning how to let go of the small stuff we talked about earlier. Depriving yourself of sleep only worsens the situation and causes MORE stress. Take the time to give your body and mind some much needed rest.
- “They use their support system.” People need other people. Utilize your inner circle of friends and family for what they are they for: support. You don’t need to handle every single hard time by yourself. It’s okay to ask for help. Honestly, it’s actually really good to ask for help as it provides new and important perspective to what you’re going through. Sometimes just talking things through with someone you trust is the solution you needed.
Dealing with toxic people and handling difficult situations is hard work, but with these new tips at the forefront of your mind, you can rise to the challenge.
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