Five-minute Strategies: Cultivate Positivity at Work

Have you ever started the work day with the intention of staying positive, only to realize that you unwittingly slipped into negativity after opening an email, hearing a voicemail, or looking at your calendar?

If so, implementing a couple of these suggestions can help you to cultivate a more positive attitude.

1. Reduce - the number of routine decisions you make daily. Select your weekly wardrobe, plan and/or prepare meals, review your schedule, and set auto reminders. This type of preparation frees mental space & the emotional energy that is required to make more complex decisions during the workday.

2. Listen – have a few go-to playlists to choose from during your commute. Include inspirational podcasts, storytelling, comedies, and audio books. The hours we commute are baked into our workweek – and offer a tremendous often-overlooked opportunity to learn, grow, and unwind.

3. Schedule – set aside blocks of time when you check and respond to email, block out regular time for specific tasks and projects. When you receive a request, don’t automatically agree, or say “yes.” Take time to review the request to make sure it is in alignment with your goals, adds value, and you have the necessary time. Own your schedule.

4. Smile – a sincere smile is contagious and positively impacts social situations. Smiling also improves well-being. Try this: instead of looking at your phone when walking at work, make eye-contact with others, smile, and say “hello,” not only will you feel better, you can start a smiling trend!

5. Cultivate – destress habits. During the workday, practice deep breathing, get up and walk around, stick to an exercise schedule. At the end of the day, turn off media and electronic communications and spend a few minutes in quiet reflection, reading, or some other activity that will allow you to release the day’s cares and get a good night’s rest.