This sounds so obvious, but really, how often do you really ask yourself, ”Is this person a positive or a negative influence?” Most of us kind of just go with the flow when it comes to who we surround ourselves with, but, in many cases, we have a choice about who we interact with, and we don’t always avoid the negative.

Pay attention to how people make you feel, and if you determine someone is a negative influence (you’ll know because you feel drained, down, or just icky after hanging out or after communicating with them), stop hanging out with him/her or, if that’s not an option, do what you can to limit the amount of interactions and clarify your boundaries.

We’re all different and have different ideas of what our boundaries should be, but one of the best ways to avoid negative interactions is to know what your boundaries are – especially with other people! – communicate those boundaries clearly, and maintain those boundaries ruthlessly. This is hard, even if you’re good at it, but it’s one the best ways to limit negativity and practice self-love, too!.

Self-love has been a huge focus for me this year, and, as a result of prioritizing it, I’ve noticed a number of positive changes in my life. Self-love is about respecting, caring for, and taking care of yourself. When you make this a priority, you’re going to be able to more easily make choices that are best for you. Whenever you face a new decision, ask yourself, ”What would be the most self-loving choice?” then choose that! The more you do this, the less time you’ll have to waste on anything (or any person!) that brings you down. 

There’s a lot of negativity out there, but there’s also a lot of positivity, too. If you want to cut back on negativity in your life, fill up your time with positive inspiration. Seek out people, activities, websites, etc. that add positivity to your life and inspire you. We all struggle with negative feelings and thoughts, and it can make a big difference if you have some go-to resources to check out when you’re having a down day. Try to incorporate something inspiring into every day, and you’ll be giving yourself a daily boost of positivity!

We all have problems — that’s just life. But what most of us don’t do is redirect our attention from the problems to the potential solutions.