Can you think of something your significant other loves or feels especially good at/proud of? Reminding others of what we love about them can often shift them into a space where they feel more positive towards themselves, which has a tendency to make them feel more positive about others and the world. I’ve found often those who have a strong, and automatic propensity towards negativity have lost their inspiration to feel positive, often towards themselves first and foremost. This can be due to a variety of factors (childhoods, negative work environments, medical issues, etc.), but one way to help folks out of that can be to offer inspiration for them. 

If that doesn’t seem to help, you might have a more serious conversation about how their negativity is impacting your life. We need our loved ones to point out areas in which we need growth, and often hearing how we are impacting others can be motivating to make some changes. Let us know how it goes!

Taking care of my kids myself ether and being happy excersicse,

Thanks for your feedback!  I can focus on skiing – he loves to ski!  And, I will try to think of other things as well.  I have brought the issue up – numerous times but there is no lasting change.  Right now he is watching a U-tube video describing the way terrorists in Africa treat their victims.  He says he wants to be informed about what is going on in the world.

Ear-plugs help.  

I do exercise, several times a day and couldn’t go without it.  Luckily I have exercised most of my adult life so it is part of my lifestyle now.  Kids are grown up and out of the house, so there’s no diversion there.  I retired last year, but am thinking about going back to work to get away from the negativity.

Maybe.  I am going to focus on things he loves and see if that makes a difference.  Thanks.

It does seem like you are doing a lot of things to help yourself – you cant change other people but can change yourself and your reactions.  Not engaging in the negativity, walking away from it and trying to keep everything in perspective are all helpful.  Keep supporting yourself and brain health and maybe you can be a positive influence.