The Power of Positivity

October is the month that kicks off change: the leaves are starting to change color, the days are changing by getting darker earlier, menus are changing by adding pumpkin spice to EVERYTHING, and it's the shift into Fall. For someone who works in New York City, all these changes alert me of two things: shorter and colder days. It also means that my seasonal depression is starting to kick in: the cold is coming, snow is coming, and I have to bundle up to leave my apartment.

Insert Positivity: I'm someone who tries to be positive 365 days of the year, but I've realized in my professional career that sometimes it's impossible. Why? Because I'm human. When discussing with my co-worker, we wanted to introduce something to the office that would make people smile, make people think, and allow people to leave/take something they might need. We decided for the month of October to launch "The Wall of Positivity" for our New York City employees to take part in.

A simple idea, with lots of potential. Quickly we put up the wall, added colorful signage, provided sticky notes, and waited. Employees came to work on October 1st- some noticed the wall, others didn't but we started to notice that it was growing. We encouraged our co-workers to share positive thoughts with each other throughout the month and also take what they needed from the wall.

It Grew: the wall expanded with positivity from everyone. After doing some research, I discovered that: “Psychologists have known for decades that the images you create in your mind can have a potent effect on your body; now researchers are proving it.”According to Traci Stein, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and adjunct professor at Columbia University’s Teachers College. And what better way to create positive images in the brain than to fill our office with visual positivity? (article)

Stay Positive this Fall & Winter, I will be!