Are you constantly talking down to yourself at work? You could actually be getting in the way of your own career goals. Many people underestimate how important confidence and positive attitudes are to success, both at work and just in life, in general. On top of that, attitudes are contagious, meaning that one person’s negative attitude is likely to drag their coworkers down with it. Here are some tips for keeping a positive attitude in the workplace.
Maintain a solid work-life balance.
If you bring your work home with you, or don’t have relationships and hobbies outside of work, you run the risk of getting burnt out, which can result in a seriously negative attitude and low self confidence. You’ll never be able to complete everything, so learn when to say ‘enough’, and take some time to do something you love that has nothing to do with your job. You’ll feel refreshed the next day, instead of feeling depressed because you stayed up all night working and still didn’t finish everything you wanted to. It’s also important to maintain realistic expectations about how much you can get done at once – even the most successful employees don’t finish all of their tasks sometimes.
Keep your relationships at work positive.
Instead of getting overly competitive with your coworkers, think of yourself as being on a team with them, and try to learn from them and take their successes as a source of inspiration. If you can, collaborate with others on your work, and share tips and tricks to make things run more smoothly. Communicating about your work can help put everything in perspective, especially if you are feeling down on yourself. Focus on the positives that the people around you have to offer; after all, positivity can be extremely contagious. Obviously, you won’t like everyone you work with, but even just having a few positive relationships at work can make you feel excited to come in to the office every day.
Stay creative.
When work starts getting routine, you’ll start to feel lackluster and negative about your career. Look for ways to challenge yourself, even if they aren’t being offered to you. Maybe you have skills or education in an area outside your specialty that gives you a different perspective on things, or maybe you want to change the way something is done in your organization. Brainstorm ways to make your ideas a reality – even if they don’t come to fruition right away, you’ll stay inspired and busy.
Be aware of your inner monologue.
While it may not seem like a big deal, the things we tell ourselves can actually have a huge impact on our overall attitudes and behaviors. If you find yourself thinking predominantly negative thoughts at work, make an effort to change that. Even though it may seem silly at first, you’ll feel happier and be more productive in the long run if you think positively.
