Simple Tips for Changing Your Mindset Toward Your Job
April 06 2020
Being More Positive About Work Can Help You Love Your Job
Sometimes staying positive at work can be difficult, especially when what you do is emotionally and physically draining each and every day. It can be easy to focus on all the negative things about your work and life, but changing your mindset can help you to see your job in a new light.
Not only can a positive mindset help you to see obstacles as opportunities, but it can also keep you healthier. A Harvard Medical School study found that having a positive mindset keeps your heart healthy, reduces your stress and makes you a happier person.
And for those in the healthcare field, having a positive attitude is a bit of a necessity. Your patients are affected by everything you do, including your attitude and demeanor, making it vitally important that you have a positive mindset. Attitudes are “infectious” so when you have a positive mindset, your patients will experience that positivity and feel like they are receiving the best compassionate care possible.
So how do you remind yourself to stay positive when it feels like nothing is going your way or you are just plain exhausted? Here are our tips to help you get started in cultivating a more positive mindset at work.
Stop Complaining
Venting here and there is normal and it is good to let those feelings out. However, the workplace is not the place to appropriately deal with those negative emotions. Remember, it is okay to have negative feelings concerning parts of your job. But you need to ask yourself if those negative emotions are warranted or if you just love to complain. If you just love to complain, it’s time to stop it. This kind of negativity will only stop you from being able to do your best work.
How to Change Your Mindset: Instead of thinking of hurdles as unfair, view them as a challenge and a way to perform better.
Help Your Colleagues
One of the best ways to get that warm and fuzzy feeling is to do something nice for a colleague without expecting anything in return. Helping others makes us feel more fulfilled and happier, so don’t forget to apply this mindset to the people you work with every day. It’s a great way to build teamwork and nurture a positive working environment. And when you work to create a positive environment, that will then manifest positively in your own mindset.
How to Change Your Mindset: Resolve to help a colleague out once per week or month. By creating that positivity, your colleagues will pay it forward and you never know when you may get some unexpected help one day!
Smile More Often
One of the easiest ways to affect your own attitude is to just smile more often. The University of Kansas found that smiling reduces stress and lowers your heart rate during tense situations. Even if you are faking it, you can trick your brain into feeling like it is in an ideal situation even if you really aren’t. Smiling also presents a more positive and friendly air to your coworkers whereas scowls make you seem standoffish.
How to Change Your Mindset: Instead of screaming, complaining or fuming when dealing with a difficult situation, take a second to relax by taking a deep breath and then smiling.
Practice Gratitude
Practicing gratitude is linked to overall happiness and helping people think and feel more positively. And gratitude does take mindful practice. More importantly, this advice is useful for both work and your personal life. You will want to practice mindful gratitude each and every day so that when things get bumpy or chaotic, you are able to easily remember the positive things. Just think about all the great things you can accomplish by just focusing on how to achieve those goals instead of complaining about obstacles in your way!
How to Change Your Mindset: Practice mindful gratitude by going over the positive aspects of your life and job. These positive aspects will be the things that make you feel thankful or happy. Each day, think of at least 2 or 3 things that you are grateful for while at work. By doing this each day, you will make it a habit and therefore easier to do on days that are tough. Consider writing down those things that make you feel grateful in a journal. You can refer back to these when you need an extra boost of positivity.
Practice Self Care
Self care is an important aspect of having a healthy body and mind. It gives us a chance to destress and work on some self-love. Practicing self care can also boost your confidence and self-esteem leading to a more positive outlook overall.
How to Change Your Mindset: Schedule time each week for you to practice self care, whether that is reading a book, taking a hot bath or even going for a hike. Do something that makes you feel happy or relaxed. By scheduling this time, you are more likely to practice self care. You can also practice brief moments of self-care at work. When you are in a tense situation, step back for a moment and breathe deeply until you feel calm. Practicing self care at work also means taking a break when you need one and also taking time to eat nutritious meals.
