Here’s How to Survive Toxic Work Zones!!
“Mondays suck.” “Today is going to be the worst workday ever.” “The world is going to hell in a handbasket.” Raise your hand if any of those thoughts crossed your mind in the last year. The last month. The last week. The last five minutes?
Don’t lie. We are prone to negative thinking. It’s actually a survival method that came with us from the get-go. The human brain has long been hardwired to be on the alert for dangerous things, like saber tooth tigers, so folks could avoid them and live another day.
Our brains further help us survive by more keenly recalling perilous moments over calm, cool and beautiful moments. Which is why we so quickly remember the boss that threw the file folder at our head—but it takes a moment or two to bring to mind the one that gave us paid time off as a bonus for exceptional work.
In short, we have brain programming stacked against us. If we even glimpse at the fear-mongering, hate-your-neighbor headlines, we have environmental programming stacked against us.
If we live with a crank ball, we have home programming stacked against us. If we work in a toxic zone where we have to duck flying file folders, we have workplace programming stacked against us.
And if we keep believing the lies some of us have been harboring for years – the ones that say we’re not good enough for this and that or we deserve to be punished for whatever else – then it’s no wonder we’re consistently ruminating on sucky Mondays, the worst workdays, and the world’s inevitable handbasket journey to hell.
On really harried days, it might seem like we must fight negativity every single waking moment – and therein is where the biggest problem lies: we’re trying to fight it.
Negativity got you down? Get back up with this surefire fix…
Whenever we try to fight negative thinking, we are actually feeding it. Fueling it. Giving it the power it needs to keep chomping, gnashing and living another day. “What you resist, persists,” Carl Jung said. And that applies triple to negative thoughts.
The solution is not to try to resist the negativity – but to give it the “Yeah, whatever.” It’s kind of like giving it the finger, but better. Try it. When the next negative thought comes rambling into your head, tell it “Yeah, whatever,” and then immediately direct your attention to something positive.
A thought says: “Mondays suck.” You tell it: “Yeah, whatever. I love my dogs.” A thought says: “It’s going to be the worst workday.” You tell it: “Yeah, whatever. Pizza for dinner.” A thought says: “Hell in a handbasket.” You tell it: “Yeah, whatever. How ‘bout them Knicks?”
Disregarding the unwanted thought—and then refocusing our attention—works absolute wonders. You can even try it on with different attitudes, depending on the situation.
Use it like a miffed teen who totally dismisses anything they don’t want to hear. “Your room is a pigsty.” Yeah, whatever. The bathroom is clean.
Use it as a trampoline, rising above the negativity. “Your haircut looks dumb.” Yeah, whatever. I’m way up here enjoying the sunshine. Can’t even see my hair from this vantage point.
Use it as a really short version of the serenity prayer, as it’s essentially saying the same thing. “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
We’re acknowledging we may not be able to change the way negativity surrounds us or comes barreling into our heads. But we are courageous enough to embrace a new habit. And wise enough to make that habit a big, fat, juicy “Yeah, whatever” whenever negative thinking tries to drag us down.
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Ryn Gargulinski is an award-winning author, artist and Reiki master who loves her dogs, pizza and her latest haircut. Check out her life story: “How to Get Through Hell on Earth without Drinking a Keg or Kicking a Garden Gnome.” Get your copy or learn more at RynskiLife.com.
