5 Thoughts That Are Making Your Work Day Harder Than It Needs to Be

5 Thoughts That Are Making Your Work Day Harder Than It Needs to Be Whether you work in a traditional office environment or in a more freeform professional atmosphere, the way you personally frame interactions and activities in your mind contributes enormously to your overall career satisfaction. According to Inc. journalist Jessica Stillman, 5 particular thought patterns can interrupt your progress and stifle your ability to find fulfillment in any situation, including in the workplace. Here, youll find the mental scripts to avoid at work and what to do instead.1. Its about me.To a certain extent, we as human beings take every interaction personally. Thats natural and normal. But in the workplace, its important to remember that your individual thoughts and feelings arent always central to professional discussions. So if your colleague responds to a question more brusquely than youd like, dont assume that she dislikes you or that youve done something to upset her. She may just be str essed and overworked in ways that have little or nothing to do with you. Keeping perspective on these circumstances will go a long way toward keeping you centered and focused.2. This has to be perfect.If you constantly strive for excellence at work and feel disappointed if a project turns out less-than-perfect, you may issue victim to an all or nothing mentality that can ultimately undermine your professional progress. Remember that theres no such thing as a flawless triumph, and as long as youre investing effort and resources in your job-related tasks, youre setting yourself and your company up for success.3. Im not happy, so its not worth it.In her piece, Stillman mentions the current cultural fixation on happiness, wellness, and joy, positing that many Americans see these emotions as the be-all-and-end-all of satisfaction and dismiss anything that doesnt frage into those categories. However, difficult situations and challenging scenarios come with the territory of almost any prof essional workplace. If you can accept those not-so-fun realities and handle them with aplomb, youll be well-positioned for future happiness at work.4. Becky is right, this all stinks.Weve all worked in atmospheres populated by dramatic colleagues and tactless managers. These make for a tough office climate, but telling yourself that you wont fall victim to the negativity of others will keep you motivated and will allow you to focus on the parts of your job that bring you satisfaction.5. Im too stressed to exercise/eat well/sleep more.When in the throes of work-related chaos, its easy to let your health fall by the wayside. Sleep deprivation, poor eating habits, too much caffeine...thats all part of the deal, right? Well, it shouldnt be. Keeping yourself as strong and physically healthy as possible positively affects every aspect of your life, including your work performance. Make these goals the priorities they deserve to be.