Negative thoughts and emotions tend to creep in unexpectedly, catching you off guard and threatening your performance. If you don’t want your personal fears and negative opinions to sabotage your career, here are a few tips on switching to a more positive mindset.
Stop giving in to impostor syndrome
It’s easy to trick your mind into thinking all your career successes are pure luck and you don’t really deserve the appreciation and respect you’ve received from your colleagues. Remind yourself that you wouldn’t have gotten to where you are now just on luck. There were a lot of skills, experience and communication involved as well. You’re good at what you’re doing and even if it’s not enough – you can get even better by asking questions, reading books or enrolling into free online courses.
Read more: Do you struggle with impostor syndrome? Here is how to beat it
Leave your negative colleagues alone
We all have bad days and if you see your always smiley cubicle neighbour in tears, it’s important to pay attention and support them. But if someone is permanently in a bad mood, manipulative, expresses jealousy or behaves negatively in any other way, your best option is to simply avoid them. Any conversation or confrontation will only lead to you absorbing their negative mood and stewing in it for the whole day. There’s even research published in the Journal of Applied Psychology explaining how witnessing rudeness in the morning sabotages the rest of your day. So not your goal!
Read more: Business mistakes you make when emotions get in the way and how to avoid them
Make peace with things you don’t like about your job
Negative thoughts at work usually have a source. More often than not, it’s something you don’t like about your current position, office or coworkers. Well, unless you’re prepared to start job hunting, there isn’t too much you can change, so it’s better to accept your current situation. Make peace with it and adjust your work process to make the annoying part less noticeable. Chatty colleague? Refill your coffee at a different time in order not to waste time on small talk. Too many meaningless emails? Check them once a day in order not to get distracted all the time. Boring office? Decorate your table with colourful elements and personal photos. It’s not ideal but it will definitely make you feel less stressed.
And find something you truly enjoy
It can’t be all bad, right? OK, you have that really annoying over-micromanaging director but also, your office location is the best and makes it possible to have a quick walk in the park during your lunch time or pick up your kids from school without alternating your schedule. Win! Find some positive points and focus on them whenever you’re feeling sad or demotivated.
Don’t get stuck
We tend to become more negative when our work process becomes too routine and predictable. How can you make your job more exciting? Visit conferences and networking events in your town, pick a different spot for lunch every day, give your partner or friend a call during evening tea – anything to break your daily routine. You’ll feel better!
Read more: How to slow down a busy day when leaving the office is not an option
Do something active
Scott Stabile, the author of Big Love: The Power of Living with a Wide-Open Heart, suggests that focusing your energy on a physical action, on your body rather than mind, helps to pull away from negative thoughts. Take a walk around the office, go to the kitchen for a fresh cuppa or even do a couple of quick shoulder stretches by your desk – any physical activity will improve your mental state.
Write your thoughts down
If nothing helps, try writing your negative thoughts down whenever you catch yourself thinking them. Writing helps us analyse our thoughts, structure them and, if necessary, get rid of them. Once we see the words on paper, it’s easier for us to make sense of our emotions and move on.