Center for Workplace Happiness

How do you feel when you expect a response from someone and they’re silent?

Do you feel judged? Disrespected? Small?

If so, you’ve gone to MSU – you have NO idea what they’re really thinking. You’re assuming a negative that they may not be thinking or feeling. Heck, maybe they didn’t even hear you!

Silence on their part does not equal “less than” on your part, though that's usually where the human brain goes. Maybe they’re so blown away by your brilliance they have no words.

Stop giving your power away by assuming others are looking down their nose at you – that’s all happening inside YOUR head, not theirs.

Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"

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Give the gift of grace, just as you’d like everyone to give you grace.

When someone doesn’t know something, give the gift of teaching without condescending.
When someone makes a mistake, give the gift of gently reminding them what a better path would have been.
When someone lashes out in anger, give them the gift of love, because that’s when they need it most.

We’re all human and we all do stupid and sometimes even mean things. When that happens to you, give the gift of grace, and may you be offered the gift of grace when your human-ness shows, too.

Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"

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Over half of Americans don’t use all of their vacation time. Are you in that group?

You earned your time off, you use some of it and at the end of the year, you give some of it back. Would you give back your salary? I don’t think so, so why do you give back your sanity?

Time away from work to do something soul-satisfying is one of the very best ways to gain and retain the work/life balance many people find elusive. Yes, you love what you do. Yes, you are an integral part of a functioning team. And yes, they can and will do fine without you while you recharge your batteries.

Experience your life, don’t just live it – take all of your vacation time. All of it. How you choose to use it is up to you.

Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"

#vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #animal #animalindustry #wellbeing #success #leadership #leader #lawofattraction

You can’t worry about someone and love them at the same time.

Worry is focusing on the weakness you see in that person, and when you’re looking at their weaknesses – which we all have! – you’re not loving them.

To a lot of people, worry feels like love, but loving someone is choosing to focus on what’s right about them and what’s right in their life, not what’s wrong.

What you focus on is what you see – if you’re used to worrying about things and people, just for today try to catch yourself worrying and shift your focus. Focus on what’s good about them and their situation. Sometimes you have to be creative and intentional in order to see good in a less-than-optimal situation. Use your powerful brain…shift your focus…and love that situation or person. Everyone involved will benefit from your more positive outlook. 

Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"

Think of the most positive person you know. They may be so positive that sometimes they annoy you with their sunny outlook. Now, take this in – that person has negative thoughts, just like you.

Neuroscience research has documented the brain’s negativity bias – it’s a survival trait that we don’t really need anymore but it still persists. Even the most positive people have negative thoughts. They just don’t let their negative thoughts control their day, and you can make the same choice.

It sounds easy and often it’s not easy. It can be done – when you find yourself feeling helpless, hopeless or headed for a downward spiral of horribilizations, use a mental stop sign and distract yourself. Think about something else, laugh at yourself for thinking old, not-helpful thoughts, and if all else fails, sing a song out loud. You can't think negative thoughts when you're singing.

It’s harder at first, and the more you catch yourself and...

You know how someone gives you the willies?
You know that one thing that when you eat it, you don’t feel good the next day?
You know there’s that one street you avoid driving down and you don’t know why?

Trust those feelings.

Gut reactions – knee-jerk responses – intuition – no matter what you call feelings like that, trust them. Your skin is the largest organ on your body - do you think maybe it's picking up up "bad vibes?" Research is ongoing and also pointing in that direction. Your gut has the same receptor cells as your brain, and they're tuned into emotions and emotional reactions - do you think your enteric brain might be trying to tell you something? Research is answering that question with a resounding "yes."

Your brain and body are picking up on something that you may not understand, and it’s ok that you don’t understand it. Trust it. You know what you know…trust what you know, whether you can explain what you know or...

What do you love to do outside of your career?

Another way to ask that question – what is your hobby? Hiking with your dog? Golf? Travel? Whatever feeds your soul, do it. When looking at your weekly calendar you should see your hobby reflected there somehow. Block out time for your hobby and don’t let work or other obligations continually crowd out your hobby.

Mental wellbeing is necessary in order for you to give your best to your patients, clients and co-workers and your hobby gives you a much-needed outlet for built-up stress. When you continually back-burner the things that feed your soul, soon you won't have anything to give to your patients, clients and co-workers...and for that matter, your family members or yourself.

Your hobby is the antidote to stress and burnout. Dose yourself regularly.

Want more? Click here for a free audio course, "Happiness is an Inside Job"

#vetlife #veterinarian #vethospital #vettech #notonemorevet #wellbeing #success...

No matter how many different ways you hear that forgiveness is good for you, you might still think that there are some people who don’t deserve your forgiveness. That's a normal, human feeling. Can I help you change your mind about that?

The concept of good and evil is drilled into us in so many ways from before we take our first tottering steps. The adults around us model unforgiveness and holding grudges and use language that subtly – or sometimes not so subtly – lets us know that there are dire consequences for misbehaving. We see others not forgiving and talking about not forgiving and so we think it must be ok or good or even admirable to never forgive certain people for certain things.

A healthier way to look at so-called unforgivable behavior is this – when you forgive someone for something they did, you put them on notice that they’re not in charge of your emotions. They don’t control you because of what they did to you.

You control you.

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Is there someone in your life who goes off unpredictably, sometimes spewing anger and resentment at you?

Yeah, that happens to us all at some point in our lives. Sometimes it’s a person you can avoid being around, and sometimes it’s a co-worker or family member.

Yikes…what then? That’s when I want you to don your placid cow persona.

There’s someone I have to be around fairly often who is very insecure, and that insecurity manifests as aggressive defensiveness. No amount of soothing will derail this person when that behavior starts – those of us in the vicinity just have to wait it out and hope the verbal barrage isn’t pointed at us.

When something like this happens to you, maybe what I do can help you, too. Make it a game – imagine that you’re a beautiful cow, standing in a lush green pasture, chewing your cud under a sunny, cloudless sky. Your mouth is closed, your eyes are soft and you are 100% focused on your little...

High achievers often struggle with overwhelm and imposter syndrome. Let me say that again and say it better this time – high achievers like you often struggle with overwhelm and imposter syndrome.

You’ve been driving yourself since you were a child – to get high grades, to take tough classes, to push through until you achieved your goal and then to feel like that goal wasn’t good enough, so you set an even tougher one.

Sound familiar? It does to me, too – that’s how I was and still work to not be.

Finding balance in life isn’t only about a work-life balance, it’s about a more balanced view of who you are and what you need.

You need to rest.
You need to take time off.
You need to do what feeds your soul.

You need to remember that your needs are your first priority. When you do that, you’re less likely to be sick, to be burned out, or to go down dark mental pathways.

Take your foot off the gas – give yourself 15 minutes a day...