Toxicity is in everyone's life in some way, shape, or form and it affects everyone differently. For me, toxic or negative people highly effect my mood. It is so easy to fall into the trap of negativity. Once someone starts complaining about a professor, I feel the need to chime in and one-up that persons story. It's an awful habit of mine, and of course it is a choice I make, but sometimes it is so hard to help it. I've been pursuing happiness in all aspects of my life for over a year and it's working out extremely well: I'm attending a University I absolutely love, I have multiple leadership roles on campus, I've made great friends and connections, and the closeness of my family is so refreshing. Even though everything sounds like it's peachy, there has been toxicity in my life in the forms of people, material things, and dramatic situations, but I'm teaching myself how to eliminate these negative things from my life. Here are some of my tips for combating the negativity in your life.

1. Start with social media

Whether you are eliminating your Twitter account you never use, or cleaning up your friends on Facebook, this is a highly effective way to get rid of toxicity. Social media is good for many things, but everyone has those people online that only post negative statuses or people you barely know. I keep my Facebook page primarily for family, and use my Instagram account for friends. For me, this is a good balance, but you might have a solution that works better for you. This is trial and error, so once you find what works for you, stick to it!

2. Purge your contact list

This goes hand-in-hand with cleaning up social media. Go through your phone and delete the contacts you don't keep in touch with or just don't know that well. Your phone will feel much more personal when you actually know everyone in your phone book.

3. Clean your space

Having a cluttered dorm room or apartment is guaranteed to drag you down. Provide a cozy, inspiring, and clean space for yourself to thrive and relax. You can do this by putting up twinkle lights, doing a load of laundry, or making your bed. These things sound so little, but they make a big difference.

4. Change your vocabulary

This doesn't mean use words that you don't know the meaning of, but rephrase your normal sentences. Instead of saying sorry try saying thank you. For example, stop saying "sorry I'm late," start saying "thank you for waiting for me." Changing the sentence from a negative to a positive will have tremendous affect on your mood and thinking.

5. Learn your love language

There are 5 languages: affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, and physical touch. This simply means how you express love and how you prefer others express their love to you. It will definitely make you more conscious of all your relationships. Here's a hint, if a person doesn't do any of these things...apply number 6.

6. Eliminate toxic people

This is so hard. Hands down the most difficult way to get rid of negativity, but it is absolutely essential. If you hang out with someone who is constantly making you feel bad about yourself or someone who doesn't respect you, it's time to cut the cord. You deserve to feel like the magical unicorn you are, and if someone is treating you that way, they aren't your real friend anyway. There are millions of people in this world and I guarantee there is at least one out there that will make you feel beautiful and respected.

7. Be active

I'm a huge advocate of physical exercise. I've been working out everyday for some time now and I think it can cure any issue. This will cleanse your insides, especially your mind. Having that outlet to release tension and frustration is so healthy and will help you have a better attitude towards other things in your life. You know when you yell at someone, not because of what THEY did but because of something someone else did? Forget that notion and take your frustrations out the healthy way.

I absolutely hope that these tips help you achieve happiness in your life. If there is anything negative in your life, get rid of is ASAP and enjoy the results. Life is too short to be anything but happy.