40 Tips To Overcome Being Negative

Learning how to avoid being negative can help you succeed both personally and professionally by helping you make positive decisions. Regardless of your job or life situation, your way of thinking can have a direct impact on the outcome of your actions. Avoiding negative thoughts is a valuable skill, but it takes practice and discipline. In this article, we discuss the importance of being positive and provide actionable tips for avoiding negativity.

Related: Positive Working Environment: Definition and Characteristics

Why is being positive important?

Avoiding constant negativity in the workplace can have a positive effect on your career for several reasons. Positive people often have greater chances of getting the jobs they seek because expressing positivity can show a hiring manager that the applicant is a productive and cooperative individual. Positivity is also important in team situations because an individual member's attitude can affect the entire team's morale.

Most employers see a positive work environment as a platform to increase productivity, creativity, teamwork and company loyalty, so having a positive attitude is likely to improve your career prospects.

Read more: Positive Thinking in the Workplace: Benefits and Tips

How to stop being negative and be more positive

By developing these 40 habits, you can improve the odds of remaining positive in the workplace:

1. Practice saying positive things

Saying positive things about yourself, your colleagues and your work activities can influence your overall state of mind.

2. Acknowledge that positive thinking improves results

Positive thoughts are more likely to lead to good outcomes, and negative thoughts are more likely to lead to bad outcomes. If you internalize this information, you can avoid negativity.

3. Live in the moment

Dwelling on past mistakes or being worried about future events can affect your current positivity.

4. Avoid negative people

Negativity can be contagious, so keeping as much distance as possible from negative coworkers and acquaintances can influence your own mood.

5. Stay cordial with negative people

Completely avoiding negative people is often impossible, so when you interact with them it's best that you avoid arguments, as they will likely not be constructive.

6. Stay near positive people

Positivity is also likely to spread from one individual to another, so you should try to identify positive people in both your personal and professional lives.

7, Practice reevaluating negative thoughts

Consciously try to rethink negative thoughts and discover the positive aspects of the events that created them.

8. Practice nuanced thinking

Instead of seeing things as either good or bad, try thoroughly analyzing them and discovering the finer points involved in them.

9. Find new hobbies

Being happy and relaxed in your personal life can have a positive influence on your career. Taking up a hobby, like a craft or a new sport, can give you a more positive mood.

10. Think of things you are grateful for

Gratitude can inspire positive thoughts by helping you focus on the good aspects of any event.

11. Keep track of the positive aspects of your life and career

Consciously acknowledging various good things about your personal and professional life is likely to help you keep a positive mood.

12. Avoid complaining

Constantly complaining is likely to develop thinking habits that encourage further complaining in the future.

13. Keep your body healthy

Exercising can have a positive impact on your mood and help you keep negative thoughts away.

14. Learn how to say no

Although you should avoid declining specific directives from your employer, saying no to various requests from friends and coworkers can help you stay positive.

15. Avoid any activities that you don't enjoy

Spending time doing things that you don't enjoy just out of habit or a perceived obligation is likely to negatively influence your mood.

16. Plan ahead

Being organized regarding your future activities can help you reduce stress and keep you in a positive state of mind.

17. Organize your workspace

Having things organized can help you avoid feeling overwhelmed and improve your workplace performance.

18. Avoid getting too involved in other people's lives

Worrying too much about other people's problems can wear you out emotionally and create negative thoughts.

19. Spend as little time as possible on social media

Spending time on social media can expose you to negativity and comparisons to the lives of others, which in turn may make it difficult for you to stay positive.

20. Keep a healthy diet

Having a balanced diet and appropriate portion sizes can help you stay healthy and energetic, making it easier to keep a positive mood.

21. Maintain a healthy sleep schedule

Sleeping around eight hours every day can give you the energy you need to stay positive.

22. Set future goals

By making goals regarding your personal and professional lives and working toward achieving them, you are more likely to keep being optimistic and positive.

23. Focus on one task at a time

Working on multiple projects at once can be tempting, but you likely will not be as efficient as you would by taking them one at a time. Focusing on multiple things at once is likely to have an impact on your positivity.

24. Find purpose in your actions

By consciously looking to accomplish tasks with clear purposes, you are likely to gain an overall sense of determination, which will likely keep you from being negative.

25. Increase your productivity

Being positive can increase productivity, but also being productive can increase positivity. Being efficient and precise with your work duties can boost your morale and keep you in a positive mood.

26. Watch as little news as possible

Unless being updated on all current events is part of your job, constantly watching the news can impact your positivity. News reports have a natural inclination towards the negative, as negative events tend to capture more of the audience's attention.

27. Avoid assuming what other people are thinking

Making assumptions regarding other people's thoughts is likely to cause misunderstanding, so being straightforward and asking for clarification from others is more likely to keep you in a positive mood.

28. Express your positivity

Having positive thoughts is the first step, but openly expressing them can boost the morale of those around you and help you build an image of a well-rounded and productive person.

29. Tell people your positive feelings about their work performance

Letting a coworker know that you appreciate their work can improve their morale and their opinion of you, which can help create a positive workplace atmosphere.

30. Face your fears

Many negative thoughts are created by the fear of the unknown, so facing your fears can help you see that you are strong enough to overcome them.

31. Try new approaches

Attempting new ways of doing things can help with your creativity and self-esteem, which in turn can help you stay positive.

32. Use humor

Laughing regularly can boost positivity by lowering stress and anxiety levels and by improving your mood and self-esteem.

33. Forgive yourself for making mistakes

If you can take note of your errors and resolve to do better the next time, you can develop habits of positive thinking.

34. Find optimistic angles of negative events

Unwanted events can occur from time to time, but finding the positive aspects of the opportunities that derive from them can help you keep a positive mood.

35. Work at a natural pace

Trying to speed up all task-related processes can be tempting, but doing too much in too little time can affect both performance and morale.

36. Help others as often as you can.

Always looking to improve the lives of friends and coworkers is likely to make you a more positive person.

37. Find positive aspects of criticism

Whenever you are criticized, you should try to find the constructive aspects of the criticism you receive and use them to improve.

38. Try to meditate

Finding personal time to meditate can improve workplace productivity and help you keep a positive outlook on things.

39. Keep a good posture

Posture is likely to influence your mood, so keeping your back straight and chin up throughout your workday can help you stay strong-minded and positive.

40. Separate your personal and professional lives

Being positive and productive at work usually requires getting enough rest and mental energy at home, so take care to keep a healthy work-life balance.