Unhappy at Work? These Simple Tricks
Can Turn Your Negative Thoughts into Positive Ones

Kathy Murdock
Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Unhappy at work? Then you aren’t alone. The annual Conference Board job satisfaction survey shows that more than half of all Americans (a whopping 52 percent!) are dissatisfied with their jobs. It’s not necessarily the work that is making us unhappy, though; sometimes, it is how we decide to look at and deal with our tasks that cause us stress on the job.

As we know, pessimism is never a good trait, and boredom makes us do things we would never think of doing. And anxiety? If you spend most of your time worrying about what has to be done or how you did something that has already been completed, you’ll never be able to completely move forward to the next task.

Mental frustrations aren’t the only things that give us pause at the office. Sitting too long in an office chair, never seeing sunlight from 9-5, becoming sedentary day after day, and eating poorly on the job can all take their negative toll.

Brant Secunda and Mark Allen, authors of the book Fit Soul, Fit Body, offer today’s working mothers (and fathers) tips for feeling better while at the workplace.

Get Up!

If you sit in your office chair from 9-5 you’ll reduce the amount of lipoprotein lipase, a fat-burning enzyme, by 94 percent. Standing for 30 minutes each day will get this enzyme going. The authors suggest rising from that ergonomic chair to answer the phone, consult with a coworker, or read the latest article.

Embrace the Power of Repetition

Ever wonder how a top athlete can practice the same skill day after day, or how someone can force her body (and mind) to run 26.2 miles? Much of this willpower and stamina comes from the mind. To continually do the same thing over and over, the person doing the task needs to think positive and, the authors say, embrace the power of repetition.

Look toward what it is you are accomplishing, the ultimate goal, and not at the small steps it takes to get you there.

Stop Procrastinating for A Small 5 Minutes

Oftentimes if I am dreading a big project, I will find other things to do to occupy my time while I get up my strength to work on it. The authors say that committing to working on the project for five minutes is all you need, because once you start you will probably find it is not that bad after all. Even if it is that bad, you are doing it, and it will be easier to complete if you have been chipping away at it for five minutes a day. Besides, once we do get started we usually stick to it because we want to see it through. So, suck it up and jump in there, even if it is only for a short period of time.

Weightlifting for the Soul

Oftentimes you might find yourself thinking negative thoughts about the workplace. You don’t want to do a certain project because it is too hard or time-consuming; you don’t want to have to partner up with a certain person because they don’t share the weight on projects; you are unhappy with the way the boss handles issues around the workplace.

Instead of practicing negative thoughts, learn to weight lift for the soul, which the authors say is “giving up negative thoughts that weigh you down.” How do you do this? “The next time a negative thought comes into your mind,” write the authors, “force yourself to restate it to yourself in a positive way.” For instance, if you are thinking something is too hard, look at it as though you have what it takes to get the job done. If you find yourself considering a particular task a waste of your time, instead think about what it is you can learn from doing that task.

Available at: <http://www.allbusiness.com/population

-demographics/ demographic-groups-working-mothers/15479561-1.html>. Retrieved on: 7 Apr. 2011.

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