Negativity is like a leech that sucks all your creative energy away. It’s best to deal with it swiftly. If you’ve already been dealing with negativity for some time, a detox is necessary before you can rebuild a peaceful atmosphere.
Whether you work from home or in a corporate setting, here are some ways to create a positive vibe in the office!
First, Detox From Negative Vibes
If you’ve already been dealing with negativity (either from your coworkers, bosses, or clients), the first step is to detox from those negative feelings so you can start with a “clean slate,” whether you work in a corporate setting or an at-home office.
Here are some tips on how you can detox:
- Take some time off. If your work atmosphere isn’t good, take a vacation to re-adjust your mindset. Do your best to avoid checking work updates. Truly rest.
- Focus on sleep hygiene. Stressful times can snowball into poor sleep in a never-ending cycle. Do everything you can to ensure you get proper sleep.
- Unsubscribe from negativity. Delete anything that you can that’s contributing to the negativity. Purge your social media, turn off the news, and minimize browsing time.
Build Up a Peaceful Atmosphere
Once you have a clean slate to build from, you can work to create a more joyful, peaceful atmosphere for yourself.
Here are some tips on how to increase the peace at work:
- Do more that you enjoy. Create something. Rock out to your favorite jams to pump yourself up before doing something you dread.
- Get healthy. Incorporating diet and exercise into your routine can do wonders for your mindset, creating a fuller space for good things.
- Breathe and relish small moments. Breathing deeply while enjoying nature or other moments that bring you peace can help clear your mind of the anxieties you have.
- Clean up your workspace. Clutter can be a major frustration, especially when you can’t find something you need. Everyone’s idea of “clean” is different – so adjust your workspace to suit your needs.
- Add elements that bring joy. Have a home office? Pick a new workspace in a sunny spot! Working from a cubicle? Keep photos and cards nearby as a reminder of why you do what you do!
How to Keep Positive Feelings
To keep a positive outlook, there are some things you can do:
- Remember your humanity. When people are frustrating, remember that you are also a flawed human being, and show as much grace as possible.
- Revisit your “greatest hits.” If something unpleasant happens or you begin to feel stressed/negative again, revisit the things that bring you joy and peace.
Reframe negativity
Whether you find yourself going down a negative path or being sucked into someone else’s negativity, here are some good questions to ask yourself:
- Does this concern me? Office gossip might be tantalizing, but nothing good can come of it. If you hear something about someone else, keep it to yourself – don’t repeat it. Even better – find ways to reroute the discussion or politely dismiss yourself from it.
- Is there something I could do better? If the issue does concern you – even if it’s not packaged as well as it could be – look for ways to improve. Perhaps you could work on communication or clarify something to avoid the issue in the future.
- Was part of the criticism “improperly packaged”? Sometimes people are too abrasive. If you see that there were valid points but the “packaging” was all wrong, “repackage” the criticism in your mind and disregard the negative aspects. This enables you to “Eat the meat and spit out the bones.”
- Am I ultimately responsible for their happiness? Remember that the way people treat you says a lot more about them than it does about you. You can’t control how people act – so focus on what you can control.
Handling Attacks on Your Peace
Exposure to constant negativity has an adverse effect on the brain. It can make you doubt yourself and your abilities and disrupt your peace.
If you find yourself the victim of workplace bullying (either from a client or from a coworker), here’s what you can do:
- Speak up to the person right away. Stav Ziv from The Muse recommends you call attention to their values, explain why it’s an issue, and say their name often.
- Document everything. Not just the abuse but your ability to do your job. Make sure you have a wellspring of information to pull from, just in case.
- Check your company policies. Some companies have policies against bullying, so it’s worthwhile to look into.
- Talk to people and speak their language. If confronting the bully doesn’t work, talk to someone else (either your manager, HR, or someone else in power) about how workplace bullying is costing the company.
- Find a new job (or work for yourself). Your wellness is important. Instead of working hard to prove the bully wrong (especially if you don’t feel heard after trying the above), seek another source of income. Even better if you can start your own solopreneur career and set your own boundaries with clients/coworkers.
For More Tips, Follow Matcha Design
Hopefully, these quick tips will help you enjoy a more positive experience in the workplace! At Matcha Design, we are happy to share our experience with other scrappy self-starters. Follow our blog for more helpful tips on how to infuse positivity into your office!
Or, for your daily dose of positivity, download our Owlsome Daily Quotes Alexa app!
