How to Shift Your Attitude About Work
Everyone has a bad day now and again, but some people have a bad day every day. If you are one of these folks, you can either change your job or change your attitude. The latter may not be as hard as you think.
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Instructions
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Identify the sources of your frustration at work, and do what you can to change or minimize them.
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Be aware of your mood. Mood greatly influences attitude, yet people are only occasionally conscious of what kind of mood they are in. If you consciously remind yourself to notice your mood on a regular basis, you will be in a much stronger position to shape your attitude.
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Shape your attitude. With practice, you can fill your mind with positive thoughts. Even if the negative ones don't go away, you'll have some perspective.
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Put in an honest day's work, every day. The only thing worse than a bad day at the office is a bad day at the office where you leave feeling you haven't accomplished anything.
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Show up on time. If you're feeling negative about your work, the simple desire to come in late or skip work altogether can actually worsen your frustration. Showing up even when you don't want to is an act of discipline. Knowing that you are a disciplined person feels good.
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Don't dwell on your problems with your colleagues. A simple gripe here and there is therapeutic, but keep it short. Excessive ranting about your frustrations to others can actually make those frustrations worse. It will also drive others away from you and increase your own isolation.
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Put your job in perspective. Do you have to collect garbage in sweltering weather conditions? Is your life at risk in a war zone every day? What would your life be like if you had no job at all?
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Get enough sleep.
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Show your colleagues and customers your best. Even if your day is a bust, you can make somebody else's day better and that feels good.
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Play. Play is the panacea for bad moods. Find ways to delight yourself that fit in with your office environment. Share them with others.
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Think of the social ramifications of your work. Life as we know it would be impossible without people willing to do the work that must be done in order for our society to function. Part of your waking life is given over to work and the rest is filled with opportunities, many of them provided through the work of others.
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Promise yourself that your unpleasant job will not be permanent. Then make good on your promise. Necessity often requires people to take unsatisfying jobs in order to make ends meet. If you're in a job you don't like, you will feel a lot better about it if you remind yourself that it won't be permanent. Set an escape date. Look for better work in your spare time. Focus on getting promoted or transferred to a choicer position.
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