How to Stay Sane When Work Is Insane

Maintaining this in our personal lives is one thing, but for me, maintaining this in the workplace is something else.  It can be extra challenging at times, although the same strategies apply.  The difference lies entirely in control of the external environment.  In our personal lives we create our environment, choosing everything from our living space to the people we surround ourselves with.  In a work setting that is obviously not the case.  Just because we don’t control the external environment does NOT mean we can’t control our reactions to it.

There are lots of situations where we are tested and tried at work.  We may feel a supervisor has made a bad decision.  We may get stuck with someone who does not appear to pull their weight.  We may have to work a job, or an assignment, that we really don’t enjoy.  All of those things can really bring our attitude down, but only if we allow them to.

I have found some rules for keeping my positive attitude at work, and staying sane, that really work.  By the way, they are not really my rules.  They are really principles backed by years of research and numerous experts, some who are referenced at the bottom of the article.  I apply these principles in my work life, and they really do make a difference. They will help you as well, if you apply them.

Rules to Stay Sane at Work

#1.  Don’t complain

#2.  Avoid and Redirect

#3.  Nothing is Personal

#4.  Recognize Little Joys

#5.  Spread Positive Attitude

#6.  Remember, its Your Job, Not Your Life

Principle # 1, and my #1 rule:  DO NOT COMPLAIN.

Believe me, I understand the temptation, especially when some messed up stuff is going on around you.  Sometimes it feels good to complain.  Just don’t do it!  It will only aid in keeping you in a negative state of mind.  Complaining  keeps whatever it is that is annoying you, on your mind.  Every time you complain about something you perceive as a problem, you keep your attention focused on the bad aspects, and keep yourself feeling upset, you keep stirring it up, over and over again.  If you are complaining to other people, then you are pulling them into a negative state of mind as well.  Complaining will make your day a big cesspool of negative feelings!

Principle #2:  Avoid the negativity, and redirect.

Avoiding negativity is obvious: just don’t partake! It is the flip-side of principle #1.  When you come across people complaining, don’t stop to join in. Don’t ask them whats wrong, just straight up avoid it. More often than not however, the negativity will be brought right to your front steps: for example, when the workplace gossip comes to tell you “what they heard someone said about you,” or someone comes to furiously complain “how stupid that decision corporate made is.”  This is when I hit them with a solid “I don’t care” and walk away. Misery loves company: people wallowing in it want you to wallow too.  Don’t get sucked in!

However, walking away isn’t always an option.  That is when redirecting comes in.   When I am stuck next to someone complaining, I let them finish, while not actually absorbing what is being said. I give a little quip like, “yea that sucks,” or “mmm I’m sorry.”   Then I use that small gap to quickly change the subject to something that I know makes them happy: “Hey, how are your kids?”… “Hey man I heard you went on vacation! How was it”… “Man you have got to try taco king, you will love their nachos”… You know at least a little something about most people in your workplace, even if all you know is that they have kids. That alone is enough to have them exuding positivity in a matter of seconds.  The often completely forgetting what they were complaining about and are smiling from ear to ear, talking about what their kids did that week.

 Rule # 3:  Nothing is personal, so don’t take it that way.

When bad decisions are made, or something wrong happens, 99% of the time, it has nothing to do with you.  You are the only one who is thinking about you all the time!  When the supervisor tells you to do something you don’t like, there could be several reasons why.  You could be the first person they saw.  You could be the fastest person for that job.  You could be the junior person.  It could just be that your name was in their head for some silly reason, like you told them a joke that made them laugh that day.  The odds are though, that they didn’t think “hey, I am going to put Joe there because I  know he hates it.”  Don’t let it ruin your whole work day by thinking they are out to get you.

 



 
Also, everyone is dealing with their own stuff, all the time.  When a co-worker looks angry, or isn’t friendly, more than likely, it is because of their stuff, and has nothing to do with you.  It could be anything.  Maybe they are not feeling well.  Maybe their child is at home not feeling well.  Maybe they had a bad dream that upset them.  Maybe they had an argument with someone.  Maybe it is a date that brings up bad memories for them.  There are a million things other people have piled up in their stuff that influences how they behave throughout the day.  Don’t walk around wondering what you did wrong, feeling negative, because you probably didn’t do anything.