7 Tips for Being More Positive at Home and in the Office Practicing positivity can improve your wellness at home and in the office. Here are seven ways to do it.
By Ryan Blivas Edited by Chelsea Brown
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
A business career can be accompanied by stress and pressure at home. Stress from your career can spill over into your personal life, affecting your relationship with family members and eating a cycle of negativity. However, practicing positivity can improve your wellness at home and in the office. Being a positive presence at home and work can help your loved ones and employees look on the brighter side of things. After all, positivity tends to be contagious. In this article, I'll share seven ways to practice positivity in business and family life.
1. Redirect negative thoughts
To practice positivity, learning how to redirect negative thoughts is essential. There's no room for negativity in your life when you're at home or managing your business. Instead, you can redirect those negative thoughts and channel them into something more productive. For instance, while managing your business, you can use self-doubt as motivation to consult with your partners and staff to make a business decision together.
Meanwhile, at home, if you're having feelings of self-doubt, you can confide in your loved ones and ask for their support instead of keeping your negative feelings all to yourself. However, if you find yourself in a good headspace – this might sound a bit contradictory – but it's also good to constructively focus on negative thoughts. Here's why: When you constructively focus on negative thoughts, you're looking at the possible negative situations of an event, which can help you create solutions for that "potential" event. It's a healthy practice to think negative thoughts, albeit constructively. But don't hyper-focus on them; use negative thoughts as a superpower to be constructive and preventative.
Related: Harnessing the Power of Positive Thinking to Grow Your Business
2. Identify solutions
It's normal to have negative feelings when encountering problems at home or while managing your business. However, after the initial wave of negativity occurs, focusing your efforts on finding solutions to the problem is more constructive than letting the negativity take hold of you.
When you encounter a problem while managing your business, think it through, speak to your team leaders, or call a staff meeting to discuss the problem with your team. Collective brainstorming sessions typically help devise possible solutions to the problem.
When you encounter a problem at home, it's important to get together and tackle it as a family. First, discuss the issue with your significant other and try to find possible solutions. Teen isolation is typical, but a positive attitude can help you find solutions to problems faster and more efficiently.
3. Discuss issues with a positive tone of voice
When you're at work and notice some issues with your employees, it's ideal to have one-on-one discussions with them privately and discuss issues with a positive, constructive tone. That way, rather than feeling like you're admonishing them, your employee would see that you have their back and want to get to the bottom of the issue as much as they would.
At home, if you and your significant other encounter an issue with each other, it's essential to discuss it in a positive voice and speak from the heart emotionally — but not overly emotional. Remind your partner that it's not you versus them. Rather, it's "us together versus the problem." Using a positive tone is also crucial when discussing issues with your children. Rather than screaming at them and possibly alienating them from you, try talking to your child in a gentle voice. Try talking to them as if they are adults, and discuss the root of the problem and how to solve it.
4. Engage in positive self-talk
While it may seem awkward or strange, positively talking to yourself is healthy for you. When you are nervous about launching that new product, encourage yourself by focusing on how much you've accomplished to get to the point you're at now. Focus on all of the positives while objectively understanding the negatives.
At home, you can also engage in positive self-talk by congratulating yourself for having a loving and supportive family. You can also do something like encouraging yourself to take your family on a holiday trip. Positive self-talk benefits you; the more you do it, the more it will benefit your family and your business.
Related: How Negative Self-Talk Can Ruin Your Business
5. Take feedback from others
Being a positive beacon at home and in your business also means listening to what others around you have to say. In your workplace, be open-minded about suggestions your employees may have — this could benefit and improve certain aspects of your business. Also, be hungry for customer feedback on how to improve a product or service you offer.
At home, you should also be open to listening to feedback from your significant other and even your children. While pride may dictate us to refuse to listen to what our kids may have to say, sometimes they notice issues and come up with solutions that adults don't see right away. Put your ego aside, and be open to objective perspectives.
6. Give out compliments
A compliment can go a long way in your business. Sincere compliments can be why a customer purchases from you regularly, other than the quality of your product and service. Compliments can also motivate your team to do their best for your business. A simple compliment can turn an employee's bad day around.
Meanwhile, you should also compliment your loved ones frequently. Notice your significant other looking well-dressed? Compliment them! Did your kids score high on a test? Compliment them! As long as you offer sincere compliments, you can give people positive vibes and make their day a little bit brighter.
7. Be thankful for what you have
Gratitude is something we need to practice more often. When you find yourself wanting more and more yet not being able to attain it, it's important to stop for a moment and appreciate what you have. If you are managing a business you are passionate about, appreciate how far you've come since you started. Be grateful for the opportunity to manage your business and the employees and customers who keep on supporting you. Show appreciation towards them in any way you can.
It's extremely important to be grateful for your family and loved ones. Taking your partner on a romantic night together is one way of showing your significant other how much you appreciate them. Give your children gifts on special occasions or key moments, or take them on a family trip to an aquarium or amusement park. Make your loved ones feel loved and appreciated by doing something special for them or simply by telling them how grateful you are for them.
Related: How to Become a Positive Thinker
