I've always been the kind of person who easily gets tuned into other people's "vibes." What I mean by this is that I tend to pick up and easily recognize on the energy that they are putting out. I'll easily sense if others are happy, sad, stressed, pissed off, worried, or excited. I also get a different kind of vibe if someone is being genuine or if they are trying to hide something.
We all do this to some degree. Some may be just more sensitive to it than others or we may be more "in tune" in some moments and not so much in others.
In the midst of easily picking up on all these different vibes that others are giving off, it can be easy to get caught up in other people's not-so-pleasant emotions. If someone else is giving out vibes of being kind of crabby or unhappy we may start asking ourselves things like:
"Is there something that I did that hurt them?"
"Did I offend them somehow?"
"Does this person not like me for some reason?"
Sometimes in these moments these stressful or unhappy energies they are putting off can be so much that we may even want to spit out an "I'm sorry" even though we really have absolutely no idea what we are sorry for. Other times we may simply just find ourselves overwhelmed or bothered and unsure as to what we need to do in order to "clear the air" when around such unhappy people.
In order to "clear the air," here some are ways on how to properly cope when you're around unhappy people:
#1 -- Don't take it personally. The truth of the matter is, you are not nor have ever been responsible for this person's happiness or anyone else's other than your own. We are the only person solely responsible for our own happiness. Period.
Now, in the chance that you did, in fact, do something to offend or hurt this person then you can't really apologize or change something if the person never told you. That is their responsibility. So until they say something to you, don't sweat it.
#2 -- Don't get all caught up in their unhappiness. Sometimes what we tend to do when we are around someone who is cranky and all unhappy is that we dwell on it. We focus on their crankiness and then start complaining about their own negativity and unhappiness.
Doing this, however, is one of the worst things that we can do because we just keep the unhappiness going! This is an unconscious habit that many of us easily fall into on a regular basis, so we need to really nip this habit in the butt pronto! And so, in order to avoid getting all caught up in other people's unhappiness...
#3 -- Give yourself time to get re-centered regularly. I also like to call this "giving yourself some 'me' time." When we are constantly on the go-go-go and never give ourselves some time to breathe, we are not only more susceptible to getting stressed out but also more susceptible to letting other people's "stuff" get to us.
So take some time every day to simply be alone with yourself. During this time allow yourself to meditation, journal, reflect, read, exercise, or simply just do whatever you feel like in order to "recharge." Sometimes I do this through going for a walk and other times it may be through gardening. Just go along with whatever you feel your heart is being drawn to!
#4 -- Kill it with kindness. How many times have you been having a bad day but upon crossing paths with a very happy and pleasant person you felt like a weight was lifted off your shoulders? I know I've had this happen!
The reality is that when we put out positive and pleasant vibes out to others by smiling, cheerfully asking someone how they are, or making some jokes we are actually helping others to raise their vibration to a more positive level as well. The benefits are really two-fold: You brighten other people's day and you brighten the day for yourself because you then experience gratification from helping others.
Now, of course, it isn't all cranky-person proof. Some people will just be stuck on being unhappy in that moment no matter what comes along. However, it is still beneficial because it is helping you stay on the positive side of things rather than to get caught up in their negativity.
Take action now!
Of the four tips listed above, which one do you most need to remember? How are you going to start implementing this four tips starting today? Share it in the comments below!
This blog was originally published on JenniferTwardowski.com
Jennifer is a self and relationship coach and teacher. She helps women worldwide create fulfilling relationships with both themselves and others so they can live happy and joyful lives. Click here for her Free Self and Relationship Healing Meditation.
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