Here are five ways you can curb your complaining habit and also effectively avoid negativity from toxic coworkers in order to navigate the workplace effectively without it:

1. Be mindful

When you eliminate complaining from your life, being hyper-vigilant of what you say and think is a key first line of defense. Before you speak or respond to a text or email, quickly ask yourself if what you want to say reinforces positive or negative thinking habits. If you find yourself thinking of complaints, try to nip that behavior in the bud and direct your energies towards something more productive.

Good habits take time to perfect, so don’t get discouraged, if you find yourself complaining occasionally. Life happens, and sometimes it’s unavoidable. Even if you slip up, being mindful and self-aware of that fact will continue to help reinforce the new behavior in your mind.

2. Reframe negative thoughts

Another excellent way to become less of a complainer is to reframe negative thoughts to be more positive when they crop up.

The takeaway here is that revising thoughts to more optimistic builds health neurons and brain activity, and most importantly, will keep you positive.

3. Redirect negative conversations

At work, a conversation that bonds many coworkers together is complaining about their job or fellow peers. Not only is this not the most professional thing to do, the health consequences just aren’t worth it.

Other than surrounding yourself with more positive people at work, you can also try to guide positive conversations with your coworkers. For example, if someone is complaining about a deadline, you can shift the conversation to be about the new opportunities their completed work will bring.

Obviously, there are always exceptions to every rule. There are negative aspects we all deal with in life, such as helping a depressed friend through a rough time. You don’t have to shut people out, but cutting out needless gossip and complaining will do wonders for your well being!

4. Search for a solution

We’re usually not looking to find solutions to our problems when we complain, but to vent or wallow in them instead. Addressing problems is a necessary part of life, but it’s when we make ourselves victims or complain fruitlessly that our health suffers as a result.

Psychologist and author of The Squeaky Wheel Guy Winch, found in his research that “ 95% of consumers who have a problem with a product don’t complain to the company, but they will tell their tale to eight to 16 people. It’s unproductive because we’re not complaining to the people who can resolve our issue.”

When adversity strikes, instead of griping, try to find a tangible and productive solution to the problem at hand. Same goes for a complaining coworker. Ask them what steps they can take to solve their issue instead of engaging in useless and harmful negative banter. Doing this will strengthen your problem solving skills and train your brain to seek out more positive options first.

5. Practice gratitude

When we complain, we train our brains to look for the negative qualities in something or someone. This can lead to deleterious results in our professional and personal relationships. To combat this, practice gratitude. If you’re thankful that an employee stayed late to work on a proposal, for example, thank them. Being grateful for positive traits can be infectious in a work environment. When people feel appreciated and valued, they’re more likely to exceed your expectations instead of falling into complainable behaviors.

Thanks to Elle Kaplan and medium.com