:::How to Handle Negative Thoughts and Emotions at Work:::

=HOW TO HANDLE= NEGATIVE THOUGHTS O7 AND EMOTIONSO =AT WORK= No matter how much we love our work, at some point we'll face challenging circumstances. It's all too easy to allow negative thoughts and emotions to overwhelm us. But by employing some simple techniques, you can avoid these gloomy episodes. WHAT IS EMOTIONAL AGILITY? (AND WHY DOES IT MATTER IN THE WORKPLACE) Emotional agility is the process that enables us to navigate life's twists and turns with self-acceptance, clear-sightedness, and an open mind.' Susan David, Ph.D., an award-winning psychologist on the faculty of Harvard Medical School, identified three key components that help us handle these challenging times:? STEPPING OUT 3 (to observe your emotions SHOWING UP dispassionately) MOVING ON (instead of avoiding difficult thoughts) (instead of dwelling on negative emotions) THOUGHTT Work can definitely take an emotional toll, but improving your emotional agility can + help you handle the negative thoughts that might pop up. 8 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR EMOTIONAL AGILITY So how do we improve our emotional agility? Decades of scientific research have provided us with a wealth of effective techniques to build and implement this key element of our workplace skills. 1 FLAG NEGATIVE THOUGHTS AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY'RE NOT HELPFUL Psychologist Patricia Harteneck explains that we must identify eu negative thought patterns before we can challenge them.131 By deciding which thoughts are important and helpful (or not), we can begin to choose which eu feelings we want to feel. TRY THIS: Each time you flag a negative thought, repeat this mantra: This thought is not helpful to my health and happiness, so it can go. NEGATIVE 2 CHALLENGE HEGATIKE NEGATIVE ATIVE THOUGHTS According to psychologist Ben Martin, disrupting negative self-talk enables us to feel better and respond to situations in a more helpful way. Tackle the negativity by looking at your thoughts objectively.5 TRY THIS: When a negative thought pops up, ask yourself: Is this thought true? Is this thought important? Is this thought helpful? 3 USE THE SITUATION AS MOTIVATION TO IMPROVE Rather than dwelling on feelings of frustration and stress, focus your attention on what you can do to improve the situation. See these hurdles as growth opportunities and turn negative emotions into motivation for change. TRY THIS: Whenever you experience disappointment or an undesired outcome, set yourself a new goal and focus your energy on that. 4 DO SOMETHING ACTIVE TO SHIFT YOUR FOCUS Scott Stabile, author of Big Love, suggests that focusing your energy on your body pulls it away from your mind and the negative thoughts taking root there." TRY THIS: Remove yourself from the situation by taking a walk around the office or getting some fresh air. 5. WRITE ABOUT A RECENT POSITIVE EXPERIENCE Psychotherapist Joe Wilner explains that writing reduces the intensity of negative emotions and is effective at helping process and regulate emotions. TRY THIS: Recall one positive experience you had over the last 24 hours and write about it in detail for 5 minutes. 1.8..10 6 BREATHE DEEP AND WAIT A FEW SECONDS BEFORE RESPONDING Patricia Gerbarg, assistant clinical professor in psychiatry at New York Medical School, found that by changing patterns of breathing, we're able to change our emotional states and how we think and interact with the world. TRY THIS: STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3 When you feel an Take a deep Pause and Consider what emotion building, breath count to 10 you want to follow this sequence: say, and then respond 7 PRACTICE VISUALIZATION EXERCISES TO CALM DOWN Psychology professor Patty O'Grady says that visualization activates positive anticipatory thinking and short-circuits negative anticipatory thinking, creating the mental efficacy necessary to bounce back in the face of failure or stress.0 TRY THIS: Focus on the source of your negativity and imagine yourself calm and stress-free. Use all 5 senses. What are you smelling, hearing, and feeling? 8. FOCUS ON YOUR STRENGTHS Psychologist Patricia Harteneck found that the more you focus on your strengths instead of dwelling on negativity, the easier it is to feel positive about yourself.3 TRY THIS: When you find yourself engaging in harsh self-talk, take a moment to write down 3 things you like about yourself. Although the workplace can be a stressful environment, don't allow negative emotions to hinder your performance. By applying these techniques, even the most difficult working situations can be traversed with ease – and even treated as an opportunity for personal growth. SOURCES 1. David, S. (2017) About Emotional Agility. susandavid.com 2. Positive Psychology Program. (2016). Emotional Agility: Susan David's 4 Steps to Growing With Change. positivepsychologyprogram.com 3. Harteneck, P. (2015) 7 Ways to Deal With Negative Thoughts. psychologytoday.com 4. Beck, E. (2017) 4 Steps to Break the Habit of Negative Thinking. thoughtcatalog.com 5. Martin, B. (2016). Challenging Negative Self-Talk. psychcentral.com 6. Griffin, T. (2017) How to Control Your Emotions at Work. wikihow.com 7. Stabile, S. (2014). 5 Ways to Quiet Your Negative Thoughts. huffingtonpost.com 8. Wilner, J. (2011). How Positive Writing Can Increase Life Satisfaction. blog.psychcentral.com 9. Kozub, S. (2017) Take a deep breath- no really, it will calm your brain. theverge.com 10. O'Grady, P. (2013) Visualize the Good and the Bad. psychologytoday.com a 00 This image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International License - www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sal4.0 Quid Corner Your Financial Resource Centre اتقفق NEGATIVE NEGATIVE leei