By Cathy Sedacca
We get it.
The news is discouraging. Politics seems uglier than ever. Social media is full of toxic talk. And to top it off, our long, dark winter appears to have arrived well before Thanksgiving.
So, yeah, it’s understandable to be a little disheartened about the world.
Despite all that, here at Sage, it’s generally a pretty cheerful place. And I think that’s mostly because we choose how we see and respond to the world. A little bit of hope and optimism seem to be the simple and contagious remedies to the negative forces at work in the world. Remember the old expression, “The grass is greener where you water it”?
Recognizing how valuable that is, I asked our team to come up with their best list of strategies for staying positive when negativity starts to creep in. It was a smile-inducing exercise, the results of which I’m happy to share:
- Get out! Do something outside of your house: exercise, grab dinner with friends—just get away from technology for a few hours.
- Make a list. Start your day listing three things you’re looking forward to. End each day by listing three positive things that happened.
- Find an escape. Identify an enjoyable outlet, like a hobby or activity that offers a bit of an escape.
- Put negativity to use. Use any negativity you feel to fuel or motivate positive actions, such as volunteering.
- A new direction. Practice reframing negativity by redirecting your focus to the future and asking yourself questions like “What can I learn from this?”
- Practice random acts of kindness. Little things are not only easy, they go a long way. Let somebody jump ahead of you in line. Open the door for a stranger. Slow down, make eye contact, smile more and say “thank you” often.
- Cheerfulness is a choice. Resolve not to complain. The more we make a habit of noticing what’s right, the more content and satisfied we are.
- Make healthy choices. It’s hard to be positive if you’re worn out and grumpy. So eat right and get enough sleep and exercise.
- Log off. Set social media and news limits for yourself. Start by turning off push notifications.
- Find your joy. Get together with friends and family who make you laugh.
- Turn it up! Crank the volume on your favorite music and dance.
And last, but not least, it seems appropriate to call this out as we approach Thanksgiving: be thankful.
Focus on the things you’re grateful for. Capturing those things in a gratitude journal can be a positive and soothing exercise.
Most importantly, tell those for whom you are thankful how you feel.
With that in mind, let us say how grateful we are to work with so many energetic, inspiring and positive partners and clients.
We love what we do and find so much joy in helping people realize their dreams.
Happy Thanksgiving from everyone at Sage.
Cathy Sedacca is director of sales and marketing for Sage Business Credit. She partnered with Karen Turnquist to found Sage because she believed they could do what had been done by others, but better. Working closely with clients who share the same vision for their own business is the best part of her job.