Many of us in healthcare feel that our culture at work could use some “upleveling”. We read about self-care and mindfulness but can feel that these approaches are powerless against the less than supportive culture of our work environments.
How can we feel better when the system is lacking, when everyone is at the end of their rope? And if we don’t feel like we can feel better without the culture around us changing, what’s the use of trying?
This is where the definition of culture can help us out. Culture, according to the APA, is made up of characteristic attitudes and behaviors of a group.
“Right” you say “that’s the problem, the attitudes and behaviors suck.”
This is where I see the solution. Attitudes and behaviors we can do something about.
Attitudes and behaviors can be swayed by the biggest energy in a room. If you don’t believe me, go hang out in a plane with a toddler who isn’t getting their way. The toddler is the biggest energy and can almost instantly affect the energy (attitudes and behaviors) of ALL the people surrounding them.
We know this is true at home as well. If someone is having a really bad day, the whole family can be affected.
Attitudes are contagious, and without building ourselves up, without using tools like mindfulness and intentional reframing, we will be swayed with everyone else.
Do you want to feel better at work? Be the biggest energy.
It may sound overwhelming, like one more thing “to do”, but being the energy can GIVE you energy. After all, the better you feel, the easier it is to cope. The easier it is to cope, the better you feel.
Now this doesn’t mean that you have to go around telling jokes and singing (although you can if you want to), it doesn’t mean that you have to even be happy all the time.
There are so many incredibly powerful energy options to be- it’s just attitude and behavior. Here are some culture-changing attitudes that you may not immediately think of.
Calm
Compassionate
Confident
Understanding
Purposeful
Supportive
Strong
Can you tap into yourself and be calm when your coworker is melting down? Can you be compassionate? (of course you can)
Can you focus on your skills and lean on confidence despite the demands of the day?
This is where mindfulness comes in. Instead of being swayed by the most powerful energy in the room, look for it and acknowledge it. Then decide if you WANT to be caught up in that. If not, it’s up to you to pick a different energy and direct yourself to focus on that.
It’s not about letting the cranky people off the hook, it’s about tapping into the power you have for positive change. It’s about anchoring into the meaning of the work you do and letting it support you in being calm, compassionate and confident.
It’s ok to initially be swayed by the culture of the moment. It’s normal. But when you feel the stress, aggravation, or overwhelm, let that be your red flag, your warning light, that it’s time to see whose energy you are taking as your own.
Don’t settle for the default culture, it’s not making you happy.
And that we can do something about.
Do you feel stuck when trying to generate new emotions within yourself? Do you not have the energy to change your energy? This is exactly the work I do on myself every single day. Reach out, I’m happy to work with you on feeling better in the exact situation you are in. You can click here to schedule a time or DM me.
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