We all have negative people in our lives. But did you know that negativity can be contagious and harm your health? It can cause stress, anxiety, heart disease, and it can even rewire your brain.
Why negative social connections are bad for you
Friendships, relationships or family ties with people who are negative will bring you down. Here’s why:
You adopt their thinking style. People are natural mimics. From the time we are babies, we subconsciously repeat movements and gestures of those around us. There have been studies that show we trust people who mimic and mirror us more than those who don’t. We also feel closer to them and like them more.
Studies have also found that spending a lot of time with someone who constantly ruminates or exhibits other signs of depression can be contagious. That’s right! You can start ruminating and exhibiting the same signs of depression, even if you have never experienced them before.
For these reasons, negative social connections are especially damaging for people who put a high value on friendships and prioritize how others perceive them.