Some days, work just drain you of energy. It’s hard to talk to a co-worker, client, and customer while maintaining an upbeat attitude.
It’s easy to focus on the negative. It’s that little devil on your shoulder that likes chewing your ear off until you can’t take anymore and you just give in.
You know this doesn’t help you feel any happier, and it sure as heck doesn’t make you more productive. So let’s do something about it.
1. Look for learning experiences
Each day has quite a few hidden gems, even when you are working on those projects that wear you out. Look for little moments that can teach you a lesson. For example, you can examine how you deal with your anger at a failed project. How quickly can you process your feelings and get back into a good work rhythm?
2. Feel the frustration and know that it’s only temporary
Your frustration can feel overwhelming. You probably have some days when you want to rage, quit, and never come back. Appreciate that you can feel such passion and know that it’s only a temporary state. When you know that it won’t last, it becomes more interesting and less gripping.
3. Fill in the gaps with positive conversations
Many of us work with negative people. Sometimes we are the negative person. We try not to be negative, but we all have moments of weakness. Try to find positive people when you are feeling negative. Let them steer the conversation. Just go along for the ride and let them bring you back up.
4. Take a mindful walk
Getting away from a situation can be a great way to press the restart button. I like to do this by taking a walk. A walk around the building or just a walk to the bathroom helps me release the pain. When I’m back at my desk, the positive energy flows back in and I’m ready to go.
5. Develop self talk that supports your choices
The words that you choose have a big impact on how you feel. If you use negative words, you’ll continue the negative feelings. So try encouraging yourself by thinking of the positives that you’ve been able to create from your work. When the negative thoughts start coming back in, just remind yourself that this is natural, but today you want to be positive and upbeat. Then find another positive to focus on. Do this again and again and again. After a few weeks you’ll notice that you are training your brain to extract a more positive angle from your work.
6. Work on projects that stimulate you
You probably do work sometimes that doesn’t resonate with you. We all have to do tedious work, but not all the time. Make time for exciting work. Between tasks, do work that will get your heart pumping a tad faster. This work will pump in the happier thoughts.
7. Listen to an upbeat song
I’m a big fan of music. It can even make me feel good when I had trouble sleeping and when I’m doing difficult work. Lately I’ve been listening to Everybody's Gotta Live by Love. I dance in my chair for 3 minutes and then jump into my next task with fervor and a hop in my computer mouse.
Apply these today
When you can see your experiences as a way to build your happiness, you will create a more positive outlook at work. Try one of these techniques for a couple of weeks and see how much more positive you feel at work. Hey, it’s got the Work Happy Guy’s stamp of approval.
* It’s Spread-the-Love Day, when I encourage you to spread the word about Work Happy Now. You might:
> Forward the link to someone you think would be interested
> Link to a post on Twitter (follow me @workhappynow)
> Sign up for my FREE 10 Week E-Course and join over 700 people who have already improved their happiness at work. You will also receive a bi-monthly newsletter that gives you great tips and ideas on how to improve your career.
> Put a link to the blog in your Facebook status update
Thanks! I really appreciate any help. Word of mouth is the BEST.
* The CEO of Zappos, Tony, did an interview for uber popular blog Mashable called How To Deliver Happiness with Social Media. He mentioned me as someone he loves to follow on Twitter. I was honored.
If you enjoyed this post then you will probably like this one too:
> 10 Ways to Unclutter Your Mind
> 4 Techniques to Help You Deal With a Difficult Boss
Image courtesy of rocket ship
Hey Karl,
Working on projects that stimulate me is probably the biggest one for me. If I am excited by the project, it doesn't matter the obstacles that come up or how difficult it is, or whether I have short term setbacks: my long term enthusiasm for the project carries me through =)
Hey Karl,
I'm with Sid - when I am working on a project that really stimulates me, I am energized and filled with all sorts of positivity.
Of course, there are definitely things that I do which don't always stimulate me - and in those moments - it is really about my own self-talk - and how that supports me, especially in those "less than stimulating" moments.
Karl, I love this post! (I bet you're surprised about that, huh?) You've listed some excellent tips for bringing more positivity into the workplace, which is something people really need to do more of. #1 is definitely one of the best ways to find the positive in any situation!
Hi Karl,
Thanks for this blog post. I needed to be reminded of #2,#5, and #7 at the moment. In my case, I'm embarking on attempting to learn a whole new set of skills (creating a website with a blog). Right right now all aspects of it feel so overwhelming (well,other than registering the domain name and getting a host server, which I have at least done. that it really is quite frustrating and I'm listening to the self-talk with a great deal of attention. Since shoes aren't really my favourite kind of "sole" food and would probably be a bit hard on the digestive system, I'll opt for finding a few really upbeat tunes to listen to and maybe do a dance around the living room. 😉
Have a great day everyone.
I like number #2 and realizing it's temporary. I would just add that when you feel the frustration realize there is a gift in what you're experiencing. I guess this would tie into #3 in regards to self talk.
Just imagine when you hit frustration you're pushing against the edge of your education. It's time to tap into your resourcefulness to tap into the resources around you.
Great great list regardless.
Just adding a little value 🙂
I really like to lose myself in my work and find my flow. It's where I grow the most and where I give my best where I have my best to give.
I like No.1. When we failed to achieve goals or expectations, most often than not, we focused on the negatives only. That we will wear us down completely and produce stress. Taking our minds away from what give us stress and focus on something enjoyable, even for 10 minutes will bring back the positive energy.
Personally, my best therapy is either walking my dog or take a long and easy drive.
If you are looking for more ideas -20 ways to reduce stress..http://www.allyhunt.com/cms/take-five/20-ways-to-reduce-stress
#7 works so well for me. I love my music...it gets me into my body and out of my mind, which is so often the cure for stress! Stop thinking and starting DOING. YAY for dance and music (...at work!)
Hi Sid, When we feel connected to what we do it's so much easier to get excited. I see this positive energy coming through in your blog.
Hi Lance, Self talk is also a great tool to apply in any situation. We need to make sure that we don't allow ourselves to become bored because we are doing "less than stimulating" work.
Hi Positively Present, I can see why #1 is so important to you. You've changed your outlook by writing about your experiences on your blog, using your life situations to become more positive. Hence the wonderful blog name.
Hi Sue, Learning a new set of skills can bring a lot of frustration and anger if we aren't careful. There are so many mistakes to make and beat ourselves up. This is why creating a positivity system is very helpful.
Hi Tony, Thanks Tony. I know I need to do a better job of tapping into the resources around me to help me stay more positive. I have some wonderful friends who are always willing to lift my spirits, but don't take the time to call them.
Hi J.D., Getting in "the zone" is where it's at.
Hi Ally, Negative emotions can kill our confidence especially if we don't offset with some positivity. You are right just 10 minutes can do wonders for our happiness.
Hi Stacey, Yay, for dance and music is right. When I'm lost in negativity, getting my body moving is the best way to get my mind out of the pain.
I used to always take mindful walks alone at lunch time. It gives you a great moment of silence and being centred before going back in.
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