Here’s a really simple and quick way to change your mood. If you’re feeling low, sad or slightly depressed – perhaps work is tough that day. You’re not progressing fast enough, your boss had a go at you, you feel your efforts are in vain, then try the tip I’m going to explain in this post.
A few years ago I decided to create a special kind of folder in my email system. Both at work and at home on my private account. This was the name of the folder
Positive Feedback
The reason? Well, we all receive positive feedback from time to time but quite often we forget about it. As humans we’re negatively biased in many situations – possibly because of evolution looking for danger and threat – possibly because of upbringing and noticing all the red crosses on our homework – even if just one or two, rather than all the ticks.
Whatever the reason, sometimes we get down. Work is hard, or we’re not getting the results we want. We feel like we’re not really making an impact on the world, our team, our family – whatever.
I found that when I received any praise, it was useful to store it for later. For that rainy day when I am feeling low. When I feel my work is not having the impact I want it to, or that I’m just feeling like the slog is too much.
Reviewing all the times people have fed back praise to me, can help me remember why I’m doing what I’m doing.
Even when I worked a regular 9-5 type job I would have a folder. Because it’s easy to forget the good work you do and the praise you get. And when it comes to annual or quarterly assessments you can go through it and remember the impact you had and make sure you bring it up in the assessments. That said, it’s also important to keep a log of extra (beyond your duties) work that you do. And I hope you do work beyond your duties – no matter how small. It might be re-organising a common email template that goes out, or making the team rota more accessible or clearer. Whatever. You’ll only forget when it comes to review time and sometimes these changes or improvements you make seem so small. But they all add up and so it’s worth documenting them in a single easy to access place.
So the tip for this week, to make you feel better (even when you’re low), is create a positive feedback folder and start from now storing praise. And if you are thinking that you don’t receive much, then it’s time to start going the extra mile methinks. But don’t go out seeking the praise. Just be freaking awesome and you will attract it.
What do you think? What systems do you have in place like this? Comment below. I love hearing from you.
