The Minor League: Dealing With Negative PeopleThe Minor League: Dealing With Negative People
Addict II Athlete Podcast
Savannah and Blu Robinson talk through real-life examples of dealing with negative people and share a ten-step list for protecting your energy and boundaries. The conversation focuses on empathy, calm responses, and choosing which conflicts are worth your time in recovery and everyday life.
31:16•20 Dec 2020
Handling Negative People Without Losing Your Calm
Episode Overview
- Detach from negative people by recognising that their behaviour usually has more to do with their struggles than with you.
- Avoid blaming and attacking; respond with empathy and calm, even when someone is judgemental or rude.
- Set clear boundaries and use firm but respectful language to protect your time, energy, and self-worth.
- Pick your battles carefully, especially with rumours and gossip, and focus on what genuinely needs a response.
- Treat feedback like a filter: keep the parts that help you grow and let go of the extra criticism and drama.
“It’s a privilege to have a relationship with you. It’s not a right.”
How do people cope with the challenges of staying sober when life is full of draining, negative people? This chat between teen host Savannah Robinson and her dad, coach and therapist Blu Robinson, zeroes in on exactly that question, using real-life stories rather than theory. A shopping-centre mishap and a blunt encounter at the gym set the stage for a bigger conversation about “consumers” versus “producers” – those who constantly “take, take, take” versus those who try to add value.
You’ll hear Savannah describe being criticised by an older woman for looking “too small” to be at the gym, and how she chose empathy over anger: “Thank you for your concern… but I’m okay,” turning a potentially nasty moment into a lesson in calm responses and boundaries. Together they walk through a ten-point list on handling negative people: detaching from drama, avoiding the blame game, responding calmly, holding firm boundaries, and looking for the positive without pretending hurt doesn’t exist.
They talk honestly about rumours, second-hand gossip, and that urge to retaliate versus “picking your battles” and protecting your mental health. Savannah shares how her past trauma, including a kidnapping, reshaped her sense of confidence and responsibility, especially when she realised speaking up helped other girls come forward.
Blu adds his therapist’s angle, including the idea that “other people’s opinions about me are not my business” and the reminder that it’s “a privilege to have a relationship with you, not a right.” This conversation is ideal for teens, parents, and anyone in recovery who’s tired of having their energy drained by other people’s moods. It’s honest, a bit cheeky at times, and packed with practical ways to stay kind without becoming a doormat.
Who in your life is draining your energy – and what would it look like to treat that as your next bit of recovery work?
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