Do you have friends that are more out to bring you down rather than lift you up? Toxic friendships can be damaging to your health and self-esteem, so it’s important that we try and prevent the damage they cause.

Here’s a list to help you determine whether the friend you have is toxic or not :

• Do they, even as a joke, kept reiterating your weaknesses or bad points?
• Do they constantly criticize what you wear, how you look or the decisions that you’ve made?
• Have they let you down before, like forgetting to show up for dates with you?
• They borrow money from you and don’t pay it back?
• Have they tried to pressure you into doing things that aren’t in your best interest?
• Do they always expect to be in the spotlight and never care about what you have to say?
• They talk up their lives, but are negative or dismissive about yours?
• Do you always have to make all the organizing for trips, dinners, or even just staying in touch?
• Are they being supportive and celebrate your successes, or are they being snide and criticizing?
• Did they have an excuse or simply not show up, even if you planned that dinner or getaway months ago?

If someone is unrelenting about telling you to lose weight or do anything for that matter, then they are not your friend. If someone always puts you down, you might really start to feel that way.

Toxic friends can make you feel bad about yourself and invalidate your own self-worth. They won’t help you grow and will bring you down. They are like a distorting mirror, always trying to show the negative reflection of you – which is usually part of them instead. This reflective effect might undermine your self-esteem leaving you feeling helpless. You don’t need that!

True friends should be there for you, support you and celebrate good times with you. Whereas toxic friends typically disappoint you and undermine you. Having the wrong friends in your life can be a disaster for your physical and mental health. If you are experiencing high blood pressure, depression or anxiety it might be time to reevaluate who you allow into your life. Having good friends is beneficial because they boost your immune system and have other positive effects too. Research has shown that people with supportive friendships live longer on average too.

So, take a look at the people in your life who make you feel worse about yourself and think carefully about whether you want to spend time with them. You can eventually choose to let them go and make space for friends who are genuinely there for you. 

What Are the Benefits of a Positive Self-Image

It is important to maintain a positive self-image, even if you don’t always succeed. People with a positive self-image are more likely to be happy, healthy and successful.

Every day, many people are plagued by their thoughts and the feelings it brings. It’s hard to envision how one could be positive when life is so challenging. That said, there are many advantages to being able to see the world through a lens of positivity. The following list contains all of the major benefits provided by having a positive outlook.

Get More Done

Positive people often find creative solutions for problems instead of focusing on why the problem won’t work.

There are no right or wrong ways to go about getting what you want in life. As long as you don’t give up, and keep trying new things along the way, you’ll eventually find what works for you and get more done. Because of this attitude, your mood won’t suffer too much when something doesn’t work out your way.

Just remember, life isn’t always smooth sailing. If things get tough, always remind yourself that “it could be worst”!

Get More Out of Others

Studies have shown that people with a positive attitude are typically the leaders. This is because they are approachable and will help others find their opportunities. And they will do things without complaining. There will be a few people who are negative sprinkle here and there, but most of the group will want to work together and help you out.

You’ll Be Healthier!

All things being equal, positive thinkers are less stressed out. Even when facing a stressful situation, their positive attitude will get them through it much quicker as compared to those caving in to negativity. And when there is less stress, you will naturally feel and be healthier than those who are constantly stressed out.

You Will Be a More Pleasant Person

People love to be around those who are cheerful, so it’s no surprise that others are drawn to you when you never criticize or talk negatively about anything. You’ll find that friendships with those people will tend to grow more deeply and last longer as a result.

It is not to say that people who are negative will not develop friendships. But it will be understandably harder and probably won’t last as people are naturally expel from you when they don’t feel positivity to be with you.

You Tend to Be More Satisfied

When you solve more problems by being positive, you are likely to get more done which will get you noticed by others. In the workplace, this can lead to more opportunities in terms of promotions and higher salaries.

With all the benefits associated with having a positive attitude, the right course of action should always strive to become more positive. It takes practice and won’t happen overnight but is well worth pursuing.