{"id":63690,"date":"2014-03-06T08:00:29","date_gmt":"2014-03-06T13:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=63690"},"modified":"2014-03-05T17:21:42","modified_gmt":"2014-03-05T22:21:42","slug":"5-ways-to-keep-negativity-at-bay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=63690","title":{"rendered":"5 Ways to Keep Negativity at Bay"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Amanda Viana, Head Editor,\u00a0INALJ Massachusetts<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

5 Ways to Keep Negativity at Bay<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"amanda.may\"<\/a>There\u2019s a lot of variety to the blog posts on INALJ; some are expert posts, some are tips\u00a0& tricks, and still others are stories of professional journeys and growth. This post is a\u00a0bit of all of the above. Lately I\u2019ve been finding myself in a negativity rut\u2014prone to falling\u00a0into complaint sessions, negative thoughts, and mega stress. So I\u2019ve put together this list,\u00a0\u201c5 ways to keep negativity at bay\u201d to share with all of you, but also for me. I am far from\u00a0perfect\u2014I\u2019ve performed any and all of the bad behaviors listed below\u2014but I\u2019m hoping this\u00a0list will help me reinforce positive behaviors and e-li-min-ate<\/em> the negative!<\/p>\n

1. Change the Conversation<\/strong><\/p>\n

We’ve all been there\u2014whether it’s at the water cooler or in the staff room or even\u00a0out on the floor\u2014you\u2019ve gotten caught up in a complaint vortex. Maybe you’re\u00a0even the one who started it; I know I’m guilty of that. Either way the conversation\u00a0is heading nowhere good, and it’s getting there fast. What do you do? How do\u00a0you turn it around without compromising rapport with a coworker? Change the\u00a0conversation. Bring up a project that you’re really excited about or just finished. Tell\u00a0them a story of a great success helping a patron. Throw in a joke or a funny anecdote\u00a0from your weekend. Find something even tangentially related and switch it up. “You\u00a0know that reminds me of a great movie I saw \/ article I read \/ conversation I had…”\u00a0If you know them well enough ask about their weekend, a hobby they have, their\u00a0family or pets. Don’t know them very well? Ask some questions to get to know\u00a0them better. It’s amazing how quickly most people will jump at the opportunity to\u00a0celebrate positivity rather than dwell in negativity. A lot of people think that venting\u00a0is helpful; it’s been my experience that venting just spreads out the negativity. You\u00a0may feel a little lighter after you share, but the person you’re venting to just picked\u00a0up some of that bad energy (or vice-versa) and that can lead to a domino effect that\u00a0has everyone having a bad day. Ultimately you can only control your own attitude\u00a0and behavior. You can strive to be a good example for others but you can’t make\u00a0them drop the negative behavior. Some people will bring the conversation back to\u00a0complaints again and again and at that point it’s time to politely excuse yourself and\u00a0move on to the next step.<\/p>\n

2. Escape the Negativity<\/strong><\/p>\n

Can’t escape with verbal strategies? Then it’s time to remove yourself physically.\u00a0Politely excuse yourself and move to another location. Sometimes it’s tough; with\u00a0coworkers and patrons you can be a captive audience. Even if the only place you\u00a0can excuse yourself is to the restroom, at least you’ll have a few minutes of silence.\u00a0And most people will have given up and moved on by the time you get back. (And if\u00a0you started the venting, they’ll be relieved that you just gave them an out.) If at all\u00a0possible get outside. I would be the last person to describe myself as “outdoorsy”\u00a0but over the summer, on some great advice, I would take my lunch outside in the\u00a0library park. I can’t tell you how good it felt to get out of the building, even for 25\u00a0minutes, and enjoy the fresh air and the quiet. Sunshine, nature, quiet, and no work-\u00a0related interruptions: an honest to goodness break. That can turn around even the\u00a0worst days. Don’t have a park to sit in? Take 10 minutes of your break to go outside,\u00a0even if it’s just to walk around the building. If that doesn’t work for you, find a sunny\u00a0window\u2014just get yourself to a place where you can truly get away from work and\u00a0have time for your own quiet, positive thoughts and recharge.<\/p>\n

3. Work on a Pet Project<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sometimes your highest-priority project is the most fun, enjoyable, creative thing on\u00a0your to-do list; most of the time it’s not. We’ve all got a list in the back of our mind\u00a0of these interesting projects we’re working on, of even just daily duties that we\u00a0find more enjoyable than others. Got the budget blues? Cataloging complications?\u00a0Purchasing problems? If you can, set those tasks aside for a bit. A half hour of fun\u00a0work can help you get back into a positive groove, ready to tackle those other\u00a0challenges. When your creativity is flowing and you’re getting enjoyment from\u00a0your work it can be easier to return to the less exciting duties. Plus it will give\u00a0you something positive to talk about when someone tries to suck you into their\u00a0negativity sphere.<\/p>\n

4. Start a Brag Book<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is actually a recommendation that came straight from my boss (thanks,\u00a0Lee!) and it’s really been working for me. I’m one of those type-A, perfectionists\u00a0who feel that they have to \u201cDO ALL THE THINGS!\u201d to be successful. I’m my own\u00a0harshest critic and the first person to forget my successes and dwell on perceived\u00a0shortcomings. So my boss suggested I start a file, which I’m calling my “brag book”\u00a0with positive comments, achievements, successes, and important tasks that can\u00a0fly under the radar. She even gave me a photograph she took of me helping a\u00a0senior borrow books with his kindle to get it started. When someone gives me a\u00a0compliment that makes me glow, I write it in my book. That small act of recording\u00a0extends my warm-and-fuzzy feelings and gives me a record to go back to on bad\u00a0days when I’m not feeling very successful. It reminds me that hard work has\u00a0measurable results and that other people see that even when I don’t.<\/p>\n

5. Know When to Leave Work at Work!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t let work take over you whole existence; make sure you have a life outside\u00a0of work. This is one of my biggest challenges. I have the hardest time letting go\u00a0of negative events and feelings that I\u2019ve had during the day. When things are\u00a0stressful at work it can affect my mood, my appetite, and my sleep patterns at\u00a0home. Sometimes you have to take projects home, and I think most of us spend time\u00a0thinking about solutions, services, and programs even when we\u2019re not at work. I\u00a0think that\u2019s normal and okay for people who are dedicated to and invested in their\u00a0careers. But I also think that the hours outside of work should mainly be spent\u00a0with family and friends, learning new things, exploring new hobbies, relaxing, and\u00a0enjoying life. I truly believe that being a relaxed, well-rounded person makes you\u00a0a better professional. Leaving the stresses of the work day behind make it so much\u00a0easier to come back in a happy and positive way; and a positive attitude can be just\u00a0as contagious as a negative one!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Amanda Viana, Head Editor,\u00a0INALJ Massachusetts 5 Ways to Keep Negativity at Bay There\u2019s a lot of variety to the blog posts on INALJ; some are expert posts, some are tips\u00a0& tricks, and still others are stories of professional journeys and growth. This post is a\u00a0bit of all of the above. Lately I\u2019ve been finding…<\/p>\n

Read more \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":58786,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[145],"tags":[4129,3944,69,3592,6019,3660,4794,4689,111],"class_list":["post-63690","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","tag-5-tips","tag-amanda-viana","tag-article","tag-blog","tag-how-to-keep-negativity-at-bay","tag-inalj-massachusetts","tag-positivity","tag-staying-positive","tag-tips"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/amanda.may_.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1WoMK-gzg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63690","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=63690"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63690\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/58786"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=63690"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=63690"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=63690"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}