About a decade ago, I was challenged to come up with a personal mantra—something that wholly defined me. The goal was to be succinct and mindful. According to my energy practitioner, this phrase needed to 1) reverberate through the cosmos and 2) become engrained in my essence.

No pressure, right?

I hemmed and hawed through various incantations. Most of it was heady stuff that was far too nebulous. None of it stuck.

For a while, I considered “Clap! Clap! Thundertoss!” It’s a term I’d often say under my breath to rid myself of negative juju. Not unlike a crazy person, I’d toss in an animated gesture pretending to wipe my hands clean of something and then throw ’em in the air with abandon.

People never quite got the gist of what I was saying, so it was back to the drawing board.

After a particularly fruitful counseling session, my therapist asked about my goals for the next week. I told her I was vexed about some toxic people in my life. “I’m gonna try to avoid negativity at any cost,” I told her.

There was a literal record scratch in her office. I’d found my mantra.

Angels wept. Children danced.

“Avoid negativity at any cost” has served me well in every area of my life—especially when it comes to work. Or dating. Or responding to e-mails. Or … oh, you get the idea.

Like flicking a bug off you, you’d be surprised how easy it is to cosmically scrub hateful people from your orbit.

Next time you find yourself in a social situation that requires some introspection, ask yourself whether the person in your bubble is worthy of your energy. Or rather—muddling your energy. The answer should always be a resounding “Hell yes!” or “Hell no!” There’s no middle ground.

More importantly—and I cannot emphasize this enough—no one’s rogue energy belongs to you in any way, shape, or form. Do not engage or absorb. Once a sad sack, always a sad sack. I’ve found saying, “Please stop talking” often does the trick. (No, seriously. Those three words are a gamechanger. Four out of five celestial spirits would agree.)

If all else fails, walk away. Oh, and then mumble “Clap! Clap! Thundertoss!” under your breath while gesturing wildly—not unlike a crazy person.

Trust and believe—you’ll sleep better at night knowing they’re a miserable cow. In fact, it will probably bring a faint smile to your face right before you fall asleep. Positivity is nature’s sleep aid.