How to handle negative thoughts and emotions at work

Negative feelings and emotions lead to stress, which is estimated to cause 60 per cent-80 per cent of workplace accidents. Here is how to tackle the issue.

Negative thinking at work is something that can affect anyone at any time, no matter how much you enjoy what you are doing or how well your life is going. Studies estimate that 60 per cent – 80 per cent of workplace accidents occur due to stress, while the cost to the economy of negative workplace emotions is put at $500 billion by the American Psychological Association.

To help you avoid negativity in your work life Quid Corner have put together a helpful infographic detailing tips on improving your emotional agility and relieving stress. Having great mental agility means facing up to, rather than avoiding, negative thoughts, trying to view your emotions objectively and moving forward from negativity instead of holding it with you.

Some of the advice to make this happen includes challenging negative thoughts as they appear in your mind by asking yourself if it’s true, important or helpful? If it is none of these then it should not be on your mind.

To achieve this, it is suggested that you do something active like taking a walk or breathing in fresh air to take your mind off it.

If you find that negative thoughts are overpowering your positive ones it is useful to take the time out to focus on good things that are happening. Sit down and think about something good that happened to you over the past day, then take five minutes to write out a detailed description of it, thus focusing your mind on the positives in your life.

It is also important to use negative situations as opportunities for growth rather than becoming disheartened by disappointment. Look at the important lessons you learned and how you could approach things differently in the future. This process will help you to avoid dead-ends and to create achievable goals, turning a bad experience into a positive personal gain.

Negativity can easily creep into your work life for a variety of reasons. By being mentally agile and knowing how to combat it, you can transform your attitude and productivity in your day to day activities. Try out the tips to get some fresh ideas on turning a mental minus into a plus.

Owen Gough

Owen Gough

Owen Gough is a reporter for SmallBusiness.co.uk. He has a background in small business marketing strategies and is responsible for writing content on subjects ranging from small business finance to technology...

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