Is your glass half empty rather than half full? Do you feel as if you’re carrying the world on your shoulders? Do you criticise yourself a lot? Have you asked yourself why? It’s probably because you’ve lost the art of positive thinking.
In the workplace it’s important to be able to turn your negativity into positivity in order to achieve your goals, overcome obstacles and get through the difficult times. Here we talk about how to turn negativity into positivity.
“Most folks are about as happy as they make their minds up to be.” Abraham Lincoln
It’s true. You can control your own state of mind and decide to:
be the one who focuses on the good rather than the bad;
come into work in a good mood;
be enthusiastic about new tasks and problem solving;
have a positive impact on people around you; and
enjoy yourself in the process.
Use the following tips to help you engage in a positive way with your work and your colleagues:
1. Choose the mood
Choose to start your day on a positive note. Decide that you’re going to have a good day, that you will enjoy the challenges ahead and working with your colleagues. Enter the office with a smile and a cheery “hello”. It’s amazing how much your personal demeanour can affect others.
2. Look for the positives
When presented with a challenge or a new task, think about the beneficial outcomes first. Knowing that what you are doing is likely to make an improvement or deliver positive results can be highly motivating. Then think about how you will benefit from the work. Is it an opportunity to:
demonstrate your talents and potential, thereby enhancing your profile;
develop new skills, experience and / or knowledge;
work with interesting people / on interesting subjects;
take time out from your normal routine; and
really stretch yourself and feel fulfilled.
3. Think of others
Other people are not only affected by your level of positivity but can play a part in improving it. Associate yourself with the ‘upbeat’ crowd rather than the complainers and see how much better it makes you feel.
Make others feel good about themselves by publicly acknowledging their input and achievements. Highlight to others your colleagues’ strengths and the value you think they can add. This will help build interpersonal relationships and portrays you as caring and unselfish.
Regard the people that you will be working with as assets rather than adversaries. Don’t focus on what people can’t do or their weaknesses. Instead, focus on their talents and where they can be used to best effect.
4. Adopt a positive self-image
It’s natural to put up barriers to ideas and new tasks when you feel you might fail. Before saying to yourself “I can’t do this”, think about what is actually being said or asked of you and ask some questions to check your understanding. You might then be able to influence the extent of your role or realise that it’s not quite as complicated as it first seemed.
The way you view yourself and your abilities can have a major impact on the way you present yourself to others. Doubting yourself and worrying what other people think of you is self-destructive. Be aware, and make others aware, of your talents by maximising the opportunities to demonstrate them. Think and talk about what you are, not what you’re not.
5. Energy and enthusiasm
Being positive, fun and engaging is tiring. But remember it’s exercising that gives us energy. The feel-good factor itself will boost your energy levels and those of the people around you.
Allowing yourself to get stressed-out will have a seriously negative effect on your enthusiasm. Learn to manage your stress levels – identify when your workload is having an adverse impact on your positivity and health, and do something about it. You can reassess your workload/working practices, utilise other people, and/or speak to your manager about easing the load.
6. Relax and enjoy
Most importantly, you can be serious about your work but still have fun. Take time out to enjoy a playful moment or indulge in some incidental creative thinking to help create a happy and motivating working environment.
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