Mental health continues to be a major topic of concern in the United States. It’s no secret that the state of our personal mental health affects every aspect of our lives – work, home, relationships, health, lifespan, etc. One in five adults experiences mental illness in a given year. Anxiety and depression are a significant cost to the global economy annually in lost productivity yet less than 50% of employees feel that their employers care about their mental well-being.
Considering the average American spends a third of their life at work, workplace wellness should be a priority for both the employee and the employer. Businesses have begun to realize that an unhappy or unhealthy work environment is bad for their bottom line and bad for employees and that a healthy work environment is key to job satisfaction. This has given rise to the implementation of many physical and mental well-being initiatives by companies across the country.
While mental health initiatives in the workplace are an important part of creating a healthy working environment, even more important is the attitude of the employee and how positive thinking affects their success at work – both personally and those around them.
If you truly want to be successful at work, you have to be able to create and maintain a positive attitude. It’s a funny thing but in being optimistic and enthusiastic, opportunities seem to grow and worries and problems tend to get smaller. A positive attitude will draw people to you that will support you and also encourage them to do their best work.
So what can you do to develop a positive mindset to improve your mental health in order to impact your work and your fellow employees?
- Always act with a purpose. Will what you are about to do serve your greater goals? If not, don’t waste your time.
- Don’t be so quick to judge others. We are all human. Don’t get disgruntled because someone may not do a job as well as you think you could or when others don’t share your vision.
- Challenge yourself every day. Always be thinking of ways to improve even if what you are doing is successful.
- Use failure or rejection to improve yourself. Take a good look at setbacks to see what you could have done to improve in the future.
- Surround yourself with people who share your positive attitude. Our brains are wired to automatically imitate the behaviors of the people around us. Make sure those people are positive thinkers and not negative nellies.
- Say thank you more often. Having an “attitude of gratitude” is more than being grateful for the blessings in your life. It also means always thanking the people you work with. Your co-workers will remember your gratitude and be more willing to help you when needed.
- Don’t take yourself too seriously. Develop the ability to laugh at yourself and make others feel comfortable doing the same thing.
These points apply to everyone even if you are looking for a job or you are unhappy in your current position. A positive mindset isn’t something we are born with. It is something we cultivate through different experiences. Having a positive attitude takes work. But once you mentally commit to having a positive mindset and outlook on life, you may be surprised by how energized, motivated and positive you feel about yourself and your work!
