18 easy ways to stay positive at work | when I am working (2023)

When people think of having a positive attitude, they might think of it as showing superficial signs of happiness, like putting on a smile or trying to think happy thoughts.

But it's more than that, a positive attitude is something that goes beyond and has an impact that goes beyond superficial joy. Negative attitudes foster anxiety, while positive attitudes do the opposite and encourage a more hopeful outlook on life.

Numerousstudiesshowed that a positive outlook on life is related to better physical and mental well-being and may even increase your life expectancy. A positive person sees his life as vast and full of possibilities. This view naturally leads to living your life in a way that exposes you and acquires new skills.

When it comes to the workplace, your mindset plays a role not only in how you are perceived by others, but also in your job satisfaction and performance. When you consider that many of us spend around forty hours a week at work, you can see the value in fostering a positive attitude in your work.

In this article, we share some simple but helpful ways to stay positive in the workplace, whether it comes naturally or not:

1. Surround yourself with positive people.

The old adage "as partners" can be viewed in two ways. Either people who are alike find each other naturally, or people in a group become more alike over time.

Surround yourself with positive people.

Who you hang out with influences you. If you are always surrounded by negative people who complain about everything, you become a crybaby and see the world just as negatively as they do. You might think that you can stay positive and change them, but that won't be the case. Try to connect with people who love their work, have new ideas, and are interested in many other things besides work. This will improve your overall perspective.

You may not always be able to choose your colleagues, but you can be careful about how much time you spend with them and in what environment. If you are stuck in a negative group, be careful not to get caught up in the negativity. Take breaks and go for a walk instead of wallowing in the drama and negative gossip in the break room.

2. Fill your mind with positive information.

As the people around you change you to be more like them, you feed your spirit.

Listen to positive music with headphones. Listen to uplifting audiobooks on the go. Read encouraging books. Watch videos and listen to podcasts that are positive or help you improve your skills.

If you are what you eat applies to your body, your mind is what you feed.

3. Control your language.

No, this isn't about language policing or trying to swear less (although the latter is probably a good idea). It's about being aware of the words you use when you speak and think.

HeSapir-Whorf Hypothesis(which played a major role in the recent film Arrival) suggests that the structure of language affects a person's worldview and way of thinking. In the broadest sense, your language actually limits or restricts the way you can perceive the world.

It's a hypothesis, I admit.

But on a smaller level, the language you use every day, both in thought and spoken words, has a cumulative effect on how you feel about yourself, your work, and the people around you.

It may seem like a silly example, but it can make the difference between seeing your day full of tasks and full of opportunities. The first is tiring and tedious, making you feel trapped in everyday life. The latter is exciting with potential.

Be careful how you think and talk at work. Find a positive way of seeing everything and everyone.

4. Create a routine for the day.

Routines get a bad rap.

It's easy to think that when you're in a rut at work, you're either stuck in a rut or not "flexible". However, the truth is that routines provide us with a good support structure. A morning routine is especially good because for many people, the morning is the day we are most alert and awake, but sometimes we just can't buckle up and get going.

Create a routine that helps you accomplish the most important tasks, taking breaks at the right time and reserving the last hour of the workday for less strenuous work and preparation for the next day. Most of us are tired at the end of the day, so don't expect too much work. It's important to end each day by preparing for the next.

5. Be nice to other people.

Being kind to other people makes you happy.

AEstudo no Journal of Social PsychologyHe found that doing something nice for people has the same effect as trying new and exciting things when it comes to feeling happy.

Even better?

AEstudo no Journal of Happiness Studiesfound that remembering to do something nice for someone makes us want to do it again.

When you make being kind to other people a normal thing, it becomes a cycle of generosity and happiness that makes you feel good and makes the people around you happy too.

think about themworst negative work environmentpossible. Negativity feeds on more negativity until it becomes overwhelming. Be nice to other people and let them pass it on.

If your job is difficult and you can't give it up, and having a positive attitude towards your work is a challenge, be kind to the people around you and let that be an effective substitute.

Appreciating and recognizing colleagues can go a long way toward making your day better.

6. Don't rely on a positive outside source.

Take a positive attitude with you.

Think of a positive attitude as a survival tool – take it with you for emergencies.

Whether you rely on a phrase you repeat in times of stress or have another trick for recovering and staying positive, make sure you find a mechanism that doesn't depend on someone else or one person's specific situation.

7. Create highlights every day and every week.

One of the best parts of an exciting vacation is the days leading up to the wait. Knowing that something good is coming can make the sad days more bearable.

You can achieve the same effect by creating little "highlights" each day to help you get through projects or days that might otherwise feel overwhelming. That's why breaks are important, but not all breaks are as valuable as they could be.

Some suggestions:

• Don't look for unhealthy food as a reward. You will end up with negative effects and a bad habit of overeating junk food or coffee.
• If possible, take breaks outside or outside of work.
• Think of a walk, solitude, silence, whatever sounds good and is feasible in your workplace.
• Find a place to read a book that isn't work related.

The daily highlights should be small and simple, not require money or create a habit that could have a negative impact on your health or budget if you do them every day (for example, going to the bakery every day for one owner and taking one coffee). . Weekly or monthly peaks may be slightly higher. Maybe you'll have lunch at a nearby restaurant every Thursday instead of bringing your own lunch. Whatever it is, create something to look forward to.

8. Take responsibility and choose your answer.

When you refuse to take responsibility for your actions and your situation, or don't take control of how you react, a positive attitude is instantly destroyed.

When something happens and you are at fault or responsible in some way, refusing to acknowledge it means you can't correct the behavior and it will happen again, and it also puts you in a victim attitude where things happen to you.

You will be more positive when you see life as something you have some control over, rather than being at the mercy of fate. Think of it as an equation: E + R = O (Event + Response = Result). How you react affects the outcome, even when events are out of your control.

9. Standardize your response to known issues.

Whether it's clients, colleagues, or regular projects, there are some things about work that you will always dread.

You know they bother you. Decide in advance that they won't.

If a customer always needs to make changes, wait. Choose to stay calm so you won't be disturbed. Try looking at the client or colleague who is driving you crazy in a different way. Perhaps they are having a bad time at home or they themselves are stressed.

10. Take a deep breath.

breathe deeplyit makes your body calm. Calm people have a better attitude.

If you find yourself having a bad attitude about something, find a place to be alone and do some breathing exercises. This not only reduces stress, but also helps you clear your head and see the situation with fresh eyes.

11. Provide a mission statement.

There is apersonal mission statement?

Where you work probably has a mission statement, but you should have one yourself.

A personal mission statement helps you define your purpose at work, what your life is about, and what motivates your behavior. It's good to fall back on when work gets crazy and you're confused about what you're doing.

When you feel like you have a purpose, it can be positive. If you feel like you don't have a purpose or don't know what you're doing at work... not so much.

12. Have personal goals.

Goals are a little different from personal mission statements in that they are specific things you want to accomplish. They are like the rewards I talked about earlier in that they give you something to look forward to.

Goals aren't just "future down the road" though, they are the actual guidelines you use to achieve them.

It's hard to be positive when you think you're not going anywhere. Goals are proof that you have a plan and are working towards something. They are evidence of a positive movement forward.

13. Remember that nobody owes you anything.

One of the worst killers of a good attitude is going through life thinking that people owe you.

Nobody owes you anything. Life is not fair. Believing otherwise puts you in a constant state of guilt, victimization, anger, passive aggression, and unhappiness. Negativity is the default state of existence when you believe the world owes you something.

How to get rid of a right?

• It's up to me to make things happen.
• Hard work brings good.
• I have to be willing to accept changes quickly.
• When the going gets tough, I carry on anyway.

When these four concepts are in your head, you won't wallow in negativity waiting for the world to do something for you.

14. Stop complaining.

We mentioned how you need to control your language. That covers complaints, of course, but complaints are such an important topic that they deserve a section of their own.

stop complaining

Crying is useless. If you are around people who complain frequently, stay away from them. Try to see the situation in a positive or different light.

Complaints are a way of seeing everything negatively without considering any other explanation. It's a one-way street to dissatisfaction that builds as you go.

15. Embrace laughter.

Laughter is good for your body and of course it makes you feel a lot better. Who doesn't like to laugh?

The humor is especially good when things go terribly wrong. Who doesn't love that guy who pulls a prank in the middle of a nightmare project that suddenly makes the whole mess seem hilarious? be that guy. Try to find humor whenever you can.

Laughing with people is different from laughing at them. Never make jokes about others to make them laugh at your expense.

16. Be curious and embrace learning.

A mind closed to learning new things stagnates and becomes negative. Changes, new ideas or any additional tasks become tedious for someone like him.

Be a person willing to learn and curious about many things. Your attitude will be positive because you look to the future and want to understand instead of being closed off. Curiosity about a new situation or about what is happening makes you attentive and aware of the present moment, which tends to suppress negative attitudes.

17. Look at the long term instead of the short term.

If the situation is difficult in the short term, adjust your vision to match the long term.

Short term situations tend to be very emotional. Making decisions or acting on them is not only a bad idea, it also tends to foster negative attitudes. In the longer term, today's challenges look much less dire because the big picture reveals an exciting outcome.

While it's not good to live in the realm of appearances, realistic long-term thinking will add a positive touch to your day and help you achieve the goals mentioned above.

18. Fake it 'til you make it.

No, this is not a call to be hypocritical.

However, the reality is that sometimes we don't always "feel" the emotions we want. Sitting back and waiting for it to come to us is a surefire way to make sure it never does. You often have to fake it until the real deal arrives.

Don't you feel happy?Don't want a presentation? pretend Most of the time, the real emotion comes out. You won't feel super excited and positive every day, but still, don't let the accompanying behavior put you off.

Drive your emotions; don't let them take you

at age 76,General MacArthur disse:“You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt; as young as your confidence, as old as your fear; as young as your hope, as old as your despair. In the center of each heart is a recording chamber; as long as you receive messages of beauty, hope, joy and courage; While you're young When all the wires are connected and your heart is covered with the snow of pessimism and the ice of cynicism, then, and only then, will you be old.

Grab this list of ways to stay positive. Add any tricks you've discovered yourself. And then do it. Constant. Do the work to maintain a positive attitude at work. It will have a huge impact on your entire life and the life around you.