The Power Of Leaving Negative Energy At Work

There was a time in my life when I was negative about almost everything.

I complained about life. I complained about work. I complained about policies, procedures, meetings, management, and just about anything else that I felt wasn’t being done the way I thought it should be. At work, I could be argumentative, especially when I disagreed with a policy or procedure. I often felt like it was my responsibility to point out everything that was wrong.

Looking back now, I realize that I probably wasn’t making my workplace better. If anything, I was contributing to the negativity around me.

It is interesting how much we can change as people without realizing it.

Sometime in 2021, I joined a new company, and one of the first things I noticed was how genuinely nice the people on my team were. They were helpful, welcoming, and positive. Working with them made me happy.

That experience changed my perspective.

For perhaps the first time in a long time, I started thinking less about everything that was wrong and more about everything that was right.

I realized that I should be grateful for what I had.

Sometimes, Your Environment Changes You

The people we work with can have a tremendous influence on us.

When you’re surrounded by people who are constantly complaining, it can be easy to join in. One complaint turns into another, and before long, complaining becomes part of the culture. You start discussing what you don’t like more than what you appreciate.

But the opposite can also happen.

When you’re surrounded by people who are kind, helpful, and positive, you may find yourself becoming more positive too.

That’s what happened to me.

The people on my new team reminded me that work doesn’t have to be a constant battle. Not every policy needs to become an argument. Not every inconvenience needs to become a source of frustration. Not every process needs to be viewed as something designed to make our lives miserable.

Sometimes, a process is simply a process.

Sometimes, a meeting is simply a meeting.

And sometimes, things don’t go exactly the way we want them to—and that’s okay.

I Started Looking At Work Differently

Since joining that company, I’ve made a conscious effort to approach work differently.

I don’t want to be the person who walks into a room and immediately brings negative energy with them. I don’t want coworkers to see my name on a meeting invitation and think, “Here we go again.”

Instead, I’ve tried to be as positive and helpful as possible.

If someone needs help, I’ll try to help them. If someone doesn’t understand something, I’ll try to explain it. If there is a task that needs to be completed, I’ll focus on getting it done rather than spending unnecessary energy complaining about it.

That doesn’t mean I agree with everything.

It doesn’t mean every company policy is perfect or every procedure makes sense. It doesn’t mean employees should never speak up when something is genuinely wrong.

There is a difference between constructive criticism and constant negativity.

Constructive criticism can help an organization improve. Constant complaining can simply drain the people around you.

I’ve learned that I would rather be part of the solution than another source of frustration.

Then I Saw A Little Bit Of My Old Self

Recently, I found myself working more closely with a team member whom I normally don’t interact with very much. He doesn’t typically work on the assignments that I work on, so our paths don’t cross very often.

At one point, however, he was attempting to complete some of the same work that a few of us on the team handle.

I noticed something familiar.

He complained about the process.

Then he complained about why things had to be done a certain way.

And eventually, we had a situation that reminded me of who I used to be.

We had scheduled a training meeting for a specific task that he had been assigned to work on the previous month. The purpose of the meeting wasn’t because we thought he didn’t know how to do the task.

The purpose was actually pretty simple.

Another team member and I wanted to learn how to do the work so that we could serve as backups if he—or anyone else responsible for that task—was out sick, on vacation, or otherwise unavailable.

That’s what teamwork is supposed to be about.

Before the meeting even started, he approached me and questioned why we needed to have the meeting if he already knew how to do the task.

I explained the reason.

The meeting wasn’t really for him. It was for the rest of us.

We wanted to learn the process so there would be redundancy within the team.

But the conversation gave me the impression that he felt the meeting was a waste of his time.

Eventually, the meeting was canceled.

And afterward, I couldn’t help but think about how much the situation reminded me of myself years ago.

I Recognized My Younger Self

The strange thing about seeing behavior you don’t like in someone else is that sometimes you recognize it because you’ve displayed the same behavior yourself.

I thought about the person I used to be.

I was the person who would question everything. I would complain about policies and procedures. I would argue with coworkers when I disagreed with something. I often focused so much on what I didn’t like that I failed to appreciate what I actually had.

Maybe that’s why this situation stood out to me.

It wasn’t just about my coworker.

It was also a reminder of my own growth.

I realized that if I had encountered myself from years ago, I might have found that version of myself difficult to work with too.

That’s a humbling realization.

Be Grateful For What You Have

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that we should spend more time appreciating what we have.

If you have a job, you have something that many people are desperately looking for.

If your workplace provides health insurance, paid time off, retirement benefits, free snacks, employee perks, or other benefits, those things are worth appreciating.

They may seem small when you’re sitting at your desk frustrated about a particular policy.

But take a step back.

There are people who would gladly trade places with you.

That doesn’t mean you should accept poor treatment or remain silent about serious problems. Employees absolutely should advocate for themselves and raise legitimate concerns.

But there is a difference between advocating for yourself and making negativity your personality.

If every day at work is filled with complaints, arguments, and frustration, eventually you have to ask yourself a question:

Is the workplace really the problem, or have I developed a habit of looking for problems?

Sometimes the answer may be uncomfortable.

Your Attitude Affects Everyone Around You

We often underestimate how much our attitude affects other people.

You may think you’re “just venting,” but the people around you are hearing it.

You may think you’re “just being honest,” but your coworkers may experience it as negativity.

You may think you’re “just asking questions,” but if every question is delivered with frustration or hostility, people eventually stop hearing the question and start feeling the attitude behind it.

Work is already stressful enough.

Most people don’t need another source of negativity.

That’s why I’ve made it a personal goal to bring positive energy into the workplace whenever I can.

A smile can help.

Offering assistance can help.

Saying thank you can help.

Being patient can help.

Even choosing not to complain about something that really isn’t worth complaining about can help.

These things may seem insignificant individually, but they can change the atmosphere of a workplace.

Positivity Doesn’t Mean Pretending Everything Is Perfect

I want to make one thing clear: being positive doesn’t mean ignoring problems.

There are bad policies. There are inefficient processes. There are unfair situations. There are times when employees absolutely need to speak up.

But there are productive ways to do that.

Instead of saying, “This process is stupid,” ask, “Is there a better way we could handle this?”

Instead of complaining that a meeting is pointless, ask what the purpose of the meeting is.

Instead of assuming management doesn’t care, try to understand why a decision was made.

Instead of immediately becoming frustrated when something changes, give yourself a moment to understand the reason behind the change.

Your attitude doesn’t eliminate problems.

It simply changes how you approach them.

Don’t Become The Person Everyone Dreads Working With

There is another reason I believe workplace attitude matters.

Organizations have to make difficult decisions sometimes. Companies restructure. Departments change. Budgets get reduced. Positions disappear.

None of us can predict what will happen in the future.

But if you are consistently known as the person who creates conflict, complains about everything, refuses to cooperate, or brings down the morale of the people around you, that reputation can eventually work against you.

On the other hand, being known as someone who is dependable, helpful, cooperative, and positive can make a difference.

Your reputation is being built every day.

Every interaction contributes to it.

Every complaint contributes to it.

Every time you help someone contributes to it.

Every time you choose patience instead of frustration contributes to it.

I’m Still Learning Too

I’m not writing this because I’ve somehow mastered positivity.

I haven’t.

I’m still human. I still get frustrated. I still encounter things at work that I don’t like.

The difference is that I’ve learned not to let every frustration become an event.

I’ve learned to choose my battles.

I’ve learned that not every disagreement requires an argument.

I’ve learned that sometimes the best response is simply to move forward.

Most importantly, I’ve learned to appreciate where I am instead of constantly focusing on where I think I should be.

The people I met when I joined my company in 2021 helped me see that.

Their kindness changed the way I approached work, and I hope I’ve been able to pass some of that positivity along to others.

Choose The Energy You Bring With You

Looking back at the person I used to be, I’m grateful that I changed.

And seeing some of those old habits in someone else recently reminded me just how important that change was.

We all have difficult days. We all have things we don’t like. We all have reasons to complain.

But we also have choices.

We can choose to make the workplace heavier, or we can make it a little lighter.

We can choose to criticize everything, or we can look for ways to help.

We can choose to focus on what we don’t have, or we can appreciate what we do have.

And we can choose what kind of coworker we want to be remembered as.

My advice is simple: stay positive, be grateful, and don’t bring unnecessary negative energy into the workplace.

You never know what someone else is going through. You never know how much a kind word or helping hand might mean to someone.

And you never know how much better your own life can become when you stop looking for everything that’s wrong and start appreciating everything that’s right.

Sometimes, changing your attitude doesn’t change your circumstances.

It changes the way you experience them.

And sometimes, that’s the change that matters most.