Staying positive isn’t always the easiest thing to do. I mean, we can’t all be Mary Poppins going through life floating around on umbrellas and singing songs (mostly because she’s fictional, but hey). That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to maintain a Mary Poppins level attitude when it comes to staying positive at work.
Even scientists have concluded that positive thinking impacts your life in a great way.
We spend so much of our time at work stressing about to-do lists, deadlines, and office politics that we tend to forget about the positives. Creating a positive work space and environment for yourself can make all the difference when you suddenly realize it’s Wednesday and you only have two more days to get the 10,000 things on your to do list done.
Here are a few ways to stay zen when you feel overwhelmed at work:
Surround yourself with positive people.
It’s so easy to get pulled into negative conversations at the office, whether it’s gossip or complaints about the workload. Do your best to avoid those discussions. Find people who encourage you when you’re feeling like the Eeyore of the office instead of feeding your negative thoughts.
Encourage others.
Now that you’ve found your inter-office cheerleaders, make sure you return the favor! Give encouragement, even for the little things. Taking the time to look for the positives in other people’s day will help you see the sunny side more easily in your own tasks.
Keep a reminder at your desk.
As cheesy as a little inspiring quote on a Post-it note can be, it’s often just the jolt you need when everything goes wrong. Not to mention, you can really get creative when you look for and draw out the quotations (who doesn’t like to color?). Not into Post-it notes? Check out alternative options on Pinterest.
Stay Organized.
It seems like common sense, but things can easily become overwhelming if we don’t have some kind of order in our lives. Whatever you need to be organized (lists, a planner, Sharpie notes on your arm), stick to it. Tackle the hardest things on your list first, it’ll help you start your day with a sense of accomplishment. The more you know about the goings on of your day, the less catastrophic it’ll be if something goes wrong.
Focus on the big picture.
Things that happen during your workday matter, good or bad. You have to remember your overall goals and experience. Something negative can always be turned into a learning moment so you can do better in the future. Outlook is everything. If you let the negativity build, your overall experience might not turn out so great, but if you let your mistakes go and learn from them, you’ll come out on the other side a stronger, more positive person.
It doesn’t matter what field of work you’re in: if you don’t make having a positive mindset your priority, negativity will crawl in and make you miserable. So keep your chin up and find the good stuff in your day!
