Leah Perez
VP of Major Accounts
Hire Up Staffing & Healthcare Services
June 9, 2021
Have you ever woken up late for work because your alarm failed to go off? Have you noticed how these mornings are often the ones where everything seems to go wrong? Why is that?
Could it be Murphy’s Law, “If something can go wrong, it will?” Or could it be the power of our thoughts? Could it be that when one thing goes wrong, we look for other ways to validate our original negative experience? It is as though we start to create a story in our own mind about this bad day. We might continue to construct this story through a collection of evidence to prove to ourselves that, yes, indeed, this is a terrible day.
While bad things can happen, it is important to remember that one single negative event does not always equal a bad day. Maintaining perspective is important to keeping a healthy outlook on our day because as days accumulate, they become our life.
Our thoughts matter.
“Whatever you hold in your mind on a consistent basis is exactly
what you will experience in your life.” Tony Robbins
The power of our thinking constructs our day-be it a good day or a bad one. Whatever it is, we think, we feel—and often what we feel, we believe.
If you recognize that your thoughts tend to wander toward the negative, you are in luck because there is power to acknowledge that. Recognizing your tendencies to ruminate in the negative allows an opportunity for some self-guided redirection. Not sure how to harness this power?
Here are a several ways to recenter, refocus, and restart:
Stay Present
In an article written by therapists at The Center for Growth, to stay in the moment, they advise, “take inventory of the details of your current moment. Let’s say you’re driving; where are you? How many cars are in front of you? What is your current speed? Is your window up or down? Are you listening to music? What song is currently playing? What’s the mood of the song?” Asking yourself a series of questions about your current environment helps you stay in the moment. You focus on the textures, objects, things around you that can help to ground you in your space.
Stop, Drop, and Roll
You may have learned this technique in elementary school for another reason, however, this phrase can be helpful in moments of stress. Changing tasks or environments can help you to think differently and get you out of your current headspace. STOP what you are doing; DROP that task for a bit and ROLL away from your desk for a few moments. Maybe take a walk, grab a cup of coffee. A temporary change of scenery might be just what you need for a renewed mental state.
Tap into Gratitude
A surefire way to stay positive is to stay connected to gratitude. Gratitude is that state of being thankful; it gets us thinking beyond our current list of predicaments and allows us to focus on the positive things in our lives. In an October 2020 article written for Healthline.com, Bethany Fulton shared, “There are many benefits of practicing gratitude, both mental and physical. Regular practice has been shown to have measurable positive effects on health.” Fulton’s article also shared information from a 2004 research review, “Stress lowers the immune system to potential bodily threats, whereas increased mental well-being can help your body fight off illness.”
Gratitude can be expressed in many ways. Within the work environment, it is good to express it verbally, thanking someone for their support on a project or helping you talk through a problem. You can also express your gratitude at work by simply sending an email that captures your appreciation. Go a step further and CC their direct supervisor, if appropriate.
On a personal level, gratitude can also be expressed independently in a gratitude journal or simply through routine mental practice.
Taking time to focus on gratitude shows strong mental hygiene and offers long-lasting positive effects.
Build in Daily Habits of Mindfulness
Create a routine for yourself; plan for a bit of time in the morning for scheduled peace and a way to center your mind. The practice of stillness can set a positive tone for the entire day. Some find peace in quiet time with coffee, others in prayer or meditation. YouTube is an excellent resource to find a guided meditation or relaxing and calming music you might enjoy.
You may find making this time difficult. An idea to ensure you are getting time to yourself is to simply set your alarm 15-20 minutes earlier. Sound questionable? Maybe try it for a week. See if you notice any changes in your overall attitude and stress level.
The director of the Institute for Mindful Leadership, Janice Marturano, suggests, “Be disciplined about this practice until it becomes a habit. And never underestimate the ripple effect of those small changes.”
Important Reminder:
A quote by Henry Ford is fitting to this topic, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t—you’re right.” The truth of the matter is even if you are not making a concentrated effort to stay positive and mindful, your thoughts still exist. This means the power of your thoughts is still in play, whether being used for the positive or the negative.
Our brains are intricate systems. However, when left on autopilot, they use previous experiences to interpret information. This means, when we are not actively working to be mindful, we are allowing our minds to retrace old pathways. This will allow for previous habits to take the lead. These old pathways may be paved with anxiety, worry, and stress.
Author, mentor and speaker, Judith Johnson published a 2014 article in the Huffington Post entitled, “Do You Know How Powerful Your Thoughts Are?” In this, she shared, “Neuroscientists use the term ‘neuroplasticity’ to refer to the fact that our brains have the ability to change our synaptic wiring, which is reflected in our point of view. Thus, we have the opportunity to intentionally change our thinking by forming new neural pathways that in turn, will change our experiences. We have the opportunity to be powerful creators of our own consciousness or to be passive heirs to the autopilot programming of our own history and external authorities.”
Think back to the caveman days. Thousands of years ago, fight or flight was necessary for survival. This survival response is hardwired in our brains. It is the brain’s way to protect us from what is perceived as a mental or physical stress or threat. It is the brain’s way of preparing us to either stay and fight or run to safety. While looming deadlines or waking up late may feel like we are being chased by a saber tooth tiger, we are not. It is our opportunity to not simply rely on our brain’s autopilot to take the lead. We, instead, can take control to recenter, refocus, and restart.
Autopilot is helpful for things like making a sandwich or brushing our teeth. However, not for living our lives. Think about how a series of days and weeks can create habits, and these habits turn into how we experience months and years. These months and years turn into our lives. Leaving our life in the hands of our brain’s caveman ways seems rather tragic.
With effort, we can work to overcome our previous ways of negative thinking. We can work to create new pathways in our brains. These new pathways will create new experiences for us, and these new experiences can lead to less stress, anxiety, and, more importantly, a more fulfilling life.
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There is no doubt that 2021 will bring forth opportunities with which to leverage new and emerging employment trends. Follow the Hire Up Staffing & Healthcare Services Blog to stay connected with a variety of topics aimed to help support you! Whether you are an active job seeker looking for tips and tricks to land your perfect job or an employer looking to fill a challenging position, we are here to help you HIRE UP!
Redirecting Your Negative and Anxious Thoughts – The Center for Growth (en-US)
The Benefits of Gratitude and How to Get Started (healthline.com)
3 Ways to Jump-Start Your Day with Mindfulness Practices – Institute for Mindful Leadership
Do You Know How Powerful Your Thoughts Are? | HuffPost Life
Leah Perez | VP of Major Accounts | June 9th, 2021
As the Vice President of Major Accounts, Leah focuses on the national level clients. Leah has over 16 years of recruiting experience in various industries from medical/clinical to administrative/accounting, all of which has launched her to being one of the most well-respected staffing leaders in California. Clients and candidates would describe her as urgent, ethical, and most importantly she takes the time to understand her clients needs so she can properly assist them. Leah would love to speak with you so she can help your business reach new heights.