Every now and again you run into someone that does not have anything positive to say. That Negative Nancy or Nicholas insists on sharing horrible tales of injustice and songs of woe. Hearing them whine and complain about the sunrise or the effervescent giggles of a small child, you begin to wonder when they swore an oath to be a contradictory wet blanket. Then, every now and again you look in the mirror and see that Negative Nancy or Nicholas starting right back at you. How many times have you heard yourself complaining and wished you knew how to back away from that place of doom and gloom? You hear yourself revving up into a full on rant and you wished you knew how to interrupt the slide down that slippery slope.
What you need is a Negative Nancy/Nicholas Emergency Preparedness Plan. This is a scramble code to activate during your Negative Nancy/Nicholas tendencies and quickly get back to feeling more peace, love, joy, and hope. Like any good emergency plan, taking a few precautionary steps can help you be ready to quickly respond when these emergencies arise.
Have a Negative Nancy/Nicholas Awareness Check List - we all know certain things work on certain days. When you are in a negative space, it can be difficult to come up with positive actions to take. Not every strategy works for you all the time so having a check list to fall back on will help you remember creative ways to get back into a positive place.
So what is on your Negative Nancy/Nicholas list?
Start Your List Within - look for strategies that you can do for yourself and by yourself. You are more powerful than you think. Besides, if your go-to strategy involves someone else, how will you cope when that person is not around to kick start your joy? No one is responsible for your moods but you. You have everything you need within you to handle what’s going in with you. Start looking for the powerful solutions to your fussiness within.
Prepare a List of Positive Actions - what can you do in the moment to address what’s making you so fussy? Nothing is off the table but I find the most simplistic things normally work better and faster than a more complicated solution. Sing, dance, walk, meditate, make a list, speak positively, listen or watch omething positive, help someone else, drink some water, take a nap.
What other positive actions can you think of that would bring you more peace, love, joy, and hope?
Now when your inner Negative Nancy/Nicholas shows up, you’ll have all the tools you need to kick back into a space of unspeakable joy!
