How positive do you feel when you head to work and sit at your office desk?

Do you feel glum for the first hour and then suddenly perk up? Does it change from day to day, e.g. on a Monday morning you’re less likely to feel perky, compared to perhaps a Wednesday or a Friday? Does it depend on the weather?

There are many elements that can affect our mood and indeed how positive we feel as a result, but overall, how would you rate your average workplace positivity level?

Most of us will admit to struggling with negativity occasionally. This is normal and it’s also down to the fact that as humans, we’re automatically hardwired to look on the negative side before the positive. It’s a trait we’ve inherited over centuries, when our ancestors had to deal with far bigger physical threats than we have to these days. 

Our ‘fight or flight’ response hasn’t really changed, despite the fact that the threats we face on a daily basis have. This means your brain is always going to be scanning your surroundings and looking for reasons to either run away or get ready for a fight. Thankfully, in the modern office, there aren’t that many reasons for either. 

So, if you find yourself feeling a little more of an Eeyore than a Tigger sometimes, that’s fine. What you do need to do however is make sure that your bouncy moments are a little more prevalent than your gloomy ones. 

How Can You Measure Positivity in The Workplace?

It’s very hard to actually measure positivity, simply because it’s not something you can see or hold in your hands. It’s only something you can feel. 

You can look for signs, e.g. whether someone is smiling more or not, but that can be a mask some of the time. Many people try and fake happiness to show that people that everything is fine, when inside it’s quite the opposite. 

So, how can you actually measure how positive your workplace is, and how can you recognise whether you need to do some personal work on your positivity or not?

It’s difficult, but you can spot it if you look hard enough. 

Firstly, look for smiles, but make sure you read body language to ensure there are no contradictory points to negate that smile. For instance, if someone is smiling but their body language is tense, defensive, and they’re fidgeting a lot, it’s very likely to be a fake smile. However, if they seem relaxed, it’s probably genuine.

You can also think about how many ideas are coming out of the collaboration sessions you have around the boardroom furniture. If this is quite high or it’s increasing, that’s a good sign that positivity is high, and confidence is right alongside it. 

You can also look at productivity. When morale is high, positivity is also high, and that means that productivity will be on the rise too.

These are the best ways to try and work out how positive your office is. Of course, if you’re a manager you can also just ask your employees! A staff survey is a good way to do this, anonymous of course, and you can ask questions about how staff feel about the office, the business, and the way they work. This can give you some very useful information on areas that might need to be changed or improved. 

Now, how can you tell what your own personal workplace positivity level is?

You can feel it. That’s how. Do you feel uplifted? Do you look for the glass half full option before you start to think that’s half-empty? Do you feel like you’re inspired at your designer office desk? Do you have ideas and feel confident enough to share them?

These are all very clear signs that you’re feeling positive. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t improve that level even further, perhaps with positive affirmations or being aware of any negative thoughts you’re having and working to reframe them. 

When you focus on positivity, life in the office and beyond improves.