With all up the upheaval in our professional lives, waking up in a \u201cbad mood\u201d can feel like an everyday occurrence. It can make us want to hide and isolate ourselves from friends, family and life in general. In fact, we may not even be aware at how much negativity has affected our day-to-day thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Negativity can feel like a vicious cycle: you try your best to be positive, but then you get another text, email or have a conversation that sends you on a downward spiral. Prolonged periods of cynical thinking, denial and catastrophizing can create neural pathways in the brain that encourage sadness. These feelings can cause our brain to distort the truth and make it even more difficult to break the negative cycle. There are some common types of negativity that we may not even realize we\u2019re falling victim to. Here are 7 examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Negative thoughts and emotions are a natural response to challenges in our life, but extended bouts can result in health issues, both physical and mental. Negativity sends our body into \u2018fight-or-flight\u2019 mode. We deal with stressful situations by releasing cortisol into the bloodstream, making us more alert and focused. And although some stress is good for us, extended periods of negativity can cause a host of side effects, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019re probably thinking, \u201cGreat! Now I\u2019m not only dealing with work uncertainty, but I\u2019m doing harm to my health as well!\u201d The good news (and there is some!) is that negativity is a habit that can be broken. It\u2019s not easy when you\u2019re in the midst of chaos, but it is possible. We\u2019ll look at some techniques to help in our next article. Working with a coach, like Leah M Joppy and Associates<\/strong>, can also provide a fresh perspective, goal setting and accountability that can help break the cycle of negativity. You want to feel like you\u2019re moving forward – coaching can help you get there and feel less \u201cstuck\u201d. To learn more, call us at 301-670-0051 or email us at leah@lmja.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n