How To Stay Positive When You’re Surrounded by Negativity
Embodying and maintaining a positive attitude in your workplace can be challenging when your work environment feels negative and emotionally draining. Here are five surefire ways to arm yourself in positivity, and keep the negativity at bay:
Start your day right: Before you even step foot in the office, it’s important that you find ways to feel good. Consider how you currently start your day. Are you starting your day by listening to dreadful news reports on the radio or television? Instead, as you start your day find ways to fuel up on the positive. Listen to your favorite upbeat music or find podcasts or audiobooks that invigorate you and put you in a good mood. Similarly, on your commute to work, engage in an activity that lifts your spirits.
Beautify and decorate your workspace: Whether you’re in a cubicle, office, or have a desk in an open space, it’s important to surround yourself with things that hold meaning for you and help you feel good. Some of these items can include pictures, inspirational quotes, and plants. Creating a workspace that inspires you and connects you to good feelings will help keep your spirits high and keep you motivated.
Remove yourself from workplace gossip: Many of your fellow colleagues may stand around the proverbial water cooler to discuss all the things they do not like about work and complain about their co-workers. Gossip is one of the greatest erosions of positive emotions and you should take all measures to neither contribute nor participate in this detrimental energy zapping activity.
Express appreciation and gratitude: Thanking your colleagues for their work and expressing appreciation on a regular basis is a small act with a huge impact. The value of utilizing this as a practice with your coworkers, when it comes from a genuine and sincere place, will help cultivate positive feelings in the workplace and benefit the entire work community.
Practice random acts of kindness: Think about it. How pleasurable does it feel when you do something good for someone else? Creating random acts of kindness can be as simple as surprising a coworker with their favorite cup of coffee. Such simple acts in the workplace will create pleasure for you, the giver, and bring joy to the receiver.
– Cynthia Santiago, empowerment coach and founder of Latina Wellness