We’ve all experienced days when we just wake up with a bad mood and nothing seems to be going right. But you know what they say: happiness is a choice and no matter how bad your day is going, you can always turn it around. Choose to turn the day around in your favor and shift the negativity away through these simple tips, and then see how your day goes:
It doesn’t hurt to step away from your cubicle for a while and get to know your co-workers better through some socialization. You might get to develop a friendship with some of the people you meet. This way you’ll have a couple of friends to grab lunch with next time, which can make your work day a little more enjoyable. Adding a light fun to your day is an effective way for managing your stress at work.
Unrealistically high expectations often lead to disappointment. If you start your day by setting unachievable goals and expectations for yourself and others, you will end up feeling unproductive and stressed out. Instead, start your day by listing a few tasks you are confident you can get done. When you finish those projects, you will feel much more satisfied with yourself and will most likely even have the motivation to fit a couple more tasks into your day. But always remember: don’t try to fit everything in one day.
Remember that time when things got out of control and you missed a couple of deadlines because you had too much on your plate? It’s okay, this is one of the most common problems at the workplace! What you could do to solve this is to take note and be aware of everything that happens during one of those days, so you can analyze what went wrong later. Managing your stress at work becomes much easier when you know how to avoid scenarios such as these from happing too frequently.
One of the best ways for managing your stress at work is to take a moment, close your eyes, and try hard to think about one thing that never fails to make you smile! This could be anything, from your dog, to that time your grandma baked your favorite pie and told you how proud you make her! Believe me, this works wonders in boosting your mood – you simply cannot think about something you’re grateful for and something you’re stressing about at the same time.
Although building relationships at work can help you enjoy your job more and get your mind off of stress, spending too much time with co-workers inside the office can, in some cases, lead to even more stress! Too much free time during working hours can sometimes lead to negative gossiping and this happens in every work environment. You might hear an inappropriate comment or two about a co-worker whom you work closely with, which can create unnecessary tension. Always walk away from situations like these, and stay away from relationships that could cause you, or others, harm.
Try practicing this habit and you will notice what an instant mood lifter it can be. Give a genuine complement to one of your coworkers about their new haircut, help your coworker fix that jammed printer, or simply tell someone that they look lovely today. Doing so will make them associate you with good thoughts, will make them love talking to you, and will also make you feel better about your own day.
Conflict at the workplace is inevitable. You can’t always have the solution for everything, so don’t stress yourself out and try to fix every single problem. Instead, seek help when things become unmanageable. It’s alright to ask your boss or colleague about a matter you do not have the background in, or do not have the expertise for. Sometimes the solution to the problem, that’s your source of stress, is one question away.
