POSITIVE ATTITUDE
Whether it's not knowing when your kids will return to school or when you will return to work in the office, we have all experienced bouts of uncertainty over the past year. In this issue, we explore ways to maintain a positive mental attitude by redefining old traditions and approaching uncertainty from a new perspective.
REWIRE THE BRAIN FOR UNCERTAINTY
While we don't know what tomorrow will bring, we do know one thing that's certain: change. Over the past year, we have all experienced moments of uncertainty. When we experience uncertainty, our brains work harder to take in new information in an attempt to reduce uncertainty. During this phase, our brains become hypervigilant as we scramble to form predictions and make assumptions about the outcome.
This state of heightened attention and vigilance can lead us to stress and exhaustion. However, uncertainty can also bring about positive change. When your mind is absorbing new information at a rapid pace, it can lead you to break free of old ways of thinking and adopt new opinions and ideas. This type of change can increase one's creative thinking, adaptability to change, and positive mental attitude.
While we each have a unique genetic makeup, there are two genetically-linked responses that happen when facing uncertainty: some of us have a negative bias and some have a more optimistic bias. This means that when faced with uncertainty, those with an optimistic bias expect things to work out, to be ok and safe in the end.
This positive mental attitude makes the uncertainty feel tolerable and modulates stress. If someone has a negative bias towards uncertainty, it may be harder to adapt to the stress because their mind is continuously expecting a negative outcome. The good news is that no matter your genetic makeup, you can practice developing an optimistic bias. Maintaining a positive attitude in the workplace and at home will combat feelings of anxiety and stress and develop flexibility and resilience.
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Here are two ways you can practice your optimistic bias and face uncertainty with a little more positive thinking.
train your brain towards an optimistic bias
Increase Your Ratio
Consider the ratio of positive and negative information that you intake each day. How do you feel after scrolling through your news feed on social media or after watching the news? Spend time increasing the amount of positive information you take in each day that support a positive mental attitude and decrease the negative information. A simple way to do this is by unfollowing social media accounts that evoke a negative response for you. For each negative account that you unfollow, try following 1-3 accounts that spark joy and make you smile.
Cultivate a Beginner's Mind
Practice approaching uncertain situations with a beginner's mind. This happens by releasing expectations of an outcome and embracing the experience of learning. If a child is learning to play the piano and hits a wrong key, he does not become angry and stops playing, he simply experiences it, learns from it, and continues playing. Be open to all possibilities and see how you can learn from each new experience and you’re certain to increase your positive attitude in the workplace and in life.
“Change is not something you do, it's something you allow.” - WILL GARCIA
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