Changing your thought process for business success.

In today's fast-paced environment, with the added pressures of the current economy, it can be very challenging to keep yourself positive and upbeat on a daily basis. Most of us will have found ourselves in a situation at one time or another where we have 'crashed and burned'. Once you reach burnout stage, it is very difficult to pick yourself back up, so what can we do in the workplace to keep ourselves ticking over and positive every day??

Be Realistic.

When you recognise there are changes to be made, try and keep it simple. If you aren't a morning person, what is it you turn to, to get yourself through? If it's a good brew, have another when you get to work - or treat yourself and have two! Nobody's judging you. Maybe you feel better after you've done some light exercise? On your lunch break, go for a brisk walk outside to get some fresh air. Twenty minutes away from a desk can really make a difference to your productivity and reset your mind to get back to work.

Make your desk your space.?

Walking into a desk surrounded with paperwork and to do lists probably isn't going to do much for a tired, overstimulated mind. Bring in little pieces of home, or anything you feel could lift your spirits when you get into work. A family photo, your favourite mug, or maybe even a brightly coloured plant. Ensure each evening before you leave work that your desk isn't disorganised chaos. Even if you've had a very stressful day, you'll be even more stressed in the morning when you walk into carnage (heaven forbid you've not slept well too!)

?Just focus on today.

We can easily manage if we will only take, each day, the burden appointed to it. But the load will be too heavy for us if we carry yesterday's burden over again today, and then add the burden of the morrow before we are required to bear it." - John Newton?

I don't think this one requires further explanation - don't stress the worries of tomorrow, they haven't happened yet. And the past has been and gone.?

Eat well.

Ahhh, the overwhelming temptation of the biscuit cupboard in the office. We all know it. Or maybe you have your own little private stash? In all seriousness, a little mid-morning or afternoon treat is totally acceptable, in some cases it's needed, and we're all only human! What we're talking about is what you're choosing to eat throughout the course of the day. It is medically proven that certain foods affect your mood, concentration and ability to focus on certain tasks due to the sudden crash you experience shortly after consuming them. Note the famous phrase "I shouldn't have had that, I feel terrible!".?

Fuelling your day with healthy, wholesome foods and drinking plenty of water (tea's included in this!) can really make a difference to how you go about your day and how you feel about yourself - and you don't have the guilty feeling hanging over you afterwards! Bonus!

Stop Rushing.?

In the UK, we are notorious for turning up late for work and having the worst excuses for it. We all know you didn't leave enough time in the morning, then you got stuck in traffic which is always "the worst traffic you've ever seen" or you have to make up a story about your dog or your toddler hiding your keys. Just avoid this situation and give yourself plenty of time to get to work in the morning. You'll feel so much better if you're walking into the office on time and giving yourself a chance to make that second brew to set you up for the day. If you start the day totally stressed and rushing, it's an indicator for how the rest of the day may pan out.?

Get to know your team and have a laugh!

We all know we must be professional in work, and clients will always come first. But the team you work with plays a vital part in your happiness and mental state throughout the workday. If you don't get on with your team, you're never going to enjoy going to work, so all the above won't have the completely desired effect. In our area of work, things can become very stressful very quickly and it's imperative that we are able to think on our feet and come across in the right way to our clients. Often, the people who call us are highly distressed and upset, so it's no good if we're answering the phone and biting their head off because we're also having a bad day. If you need to rant to a co-worker, this can let off some steam, but don't make a habit of becoming 'the ranter' or 'the moaner' - you don't want that reputation.?

"Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine" - Lord Byron

?You CAN do it.

Falling into a rut of negative thinking can be done way too easily. The strains of modern-day living are enough to send anyone's mind into a constant battle of "what if's?", but the most effective way of changing your mindset is to challenge these daily thoughts which stop us moving forward. If it would help, find a quote, put in on your desk and whenever you feel your mind wandering off into the abyss, read it, digest it and then take a deep breath and carry on. We'll leave you with a few of our favourite quotes below!?

"Just believe in yourself. Even if you don't, pretend you do, and at some point, you will" - Venus Williams?

"If you hear a voice within you say you cannot paint, then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced " - ?Vincent Van Gogh

?"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent" - ?Eleanor Roosevelt