Imagine it’s a beautiful morning, the sun is shining, and you get into your office early to get ahead of the game. The first person you bump into is Mr Negative (not gender specific!). There is a cloud around his head and he is ready to find fault with everything and anything. You can immediately feel your good mood and uplifted feelings begin to seep away. What can you do to protect yourself?
If you do have the power to move your desk to a more energetic and positive part of the office, then that is the first and most simple solution. Unfortunately, we don’t always have the choice of where we sit in an office environment but knowing as we can spend a minimum of 35 hours utilising that space, maybe we should?
Anthony Robbins says ‘We live in a box culture as we wake up in a box, we communicate with a box, we get to work in a box, we work in a box, we use a box to work on, we eat a box lunch, go home in a box, open a cylinder and go to bed in a box.’
And if you have to stay in the same space, consider taking some or all of these actions to keep you toxic free.
However, before you read on:
– Butterflymango Health Warning –
If you take some of these progressive steps towards controlling your environment and your state of mind, please be prepared as you might find that you attract even more positive people into your workplace and life… you have been warned!
1. Surround yourself with Positive Visuals
Create a vision board of how you would like your ideal life to be and use it as your screensaver.
Paste positive affirmations around your space, on your coffee cup placemat and on your screens.
And/or print out some of your favourite inspiring quotes. Place a plant or small vase of flowers on your desk and allow the energy of nature to create a more relaxing environment. Put up a sign that says people are entering a positive zone and that they should leave their negative thoughts at the door!
‘Imagination is everything, it is the preview of life’s coming attractions’
– Albert Einstein
2. Tune In to Tune Out
If you are allowed to wear headphones, plug into some positive podcasts, there are so many free resources available now. And/or listen to some uplifting music and if there is piped music in the office, inquire about how it can be changed to more positive vibes like Baroque music. Baroque music can create a state of inner peace by making you feel relaxed. Some individuals refer to it as an authentic music for the soul. Baroque music is very appropriate when it comes to boosting brain activity. Bach was one of the greatest composers who left a great legacy in baroque music development. Some researchers found out that this music can assist you to gain focus and increase concentration while processing large amounts of information and content. This rhythm can help to stabilise your emotional, physical and mental well-being.
‘Music gives a soul to The Universe, wings to the mind,
flight to the imagination and life to everything’
– Plato
3. Personal Virus Protector (PVP)
When I was growing up there was a TV advert for a morning porridge which apparently set you up for the day and allowed you to ward off any inclement weather. The story was set in a Northern grey town in the UK, where the little boy who hadn’t had his porridge had to battle the elements on a cold, wet and windy day and when he eventually arrived at school he was looking rather worse for wear and feeling sad. Whereas the other boy who had been given the advertised porridge was given a special ‘Readybrek Glow’ which allowed him to arrive at school warm and happy and not be affected at all by the weather. You too can have your very own Virus Protector which will allow all negativity to bounce off you. Just imagine a protective buffer around your body, choose the colour glow you want, the texture and add any sounds or mantras to it. I’ll let you into a secret, my PVP is pink, with a sponge-like waterproof texture, it has a positive electric charge which glows and zaps away any negativity. My mantra is “It’s all happening perfectly”.
‘Negativity is like a virus, it’s contagious and it can happen to anyone at any time.’
– Mary Barrett
4. Sniff It Out
Our senses are how we interact with the world. One of the most ignored senses is our sense of smell. Smell can evoke happy memories, elevate our mood, and improve our thoughts. Since our world is so devoid of smells, it makes sense to make a conscious effort to use scents to our advantage. Aromatherapy is a powerful tool to improve your thoughts. Since every smell is a personal experience, experiment with essential oils to determine which are your favorite scents for improving your mood. Essential oils are like tiny bottles of positivity, their scent can burn through negativity like rays of sunlight. I personally like lemon or rosemary oils for cutting through negative emotions. In addition, I daily use a blended oil called Joy on my pulse points and even if the effect is a placebo it always makes me smile – I urge you to give it a go.
‘The olfactory system, anatomically, is right in the middle of the part of the brain that’s very important for memory. There are strong neural connections between the two.’
– Donald Wilson
5. Smile and Laugh
Humour is a very powerful tool to ward off negativity and it is scientifically proven too.
Laughter boosts the immune system as it decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease. Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. So when the Negative Toxic Vampires try to bring you as low as them aim to find something funny about the situation, laugh out loud and as we know laughter is contagious so they just might start laughing too!
‘There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humour.’
– Charles Dickens
Remember everyone is fighting their own battle so be kind, and if all else fails give Mr Negative a hug, the shock could help him change his state of mind… go on I dare you!
If you would like to learn more about how I help individuals, teams and organisations create a more positive and productive environment, contact me at [email protected].