No matter how much you like your job, the stress, long hours and a plethora of worries can often times leave you less than positive. The reality is that you spend way too much time at work to be negative or unhappy.

According to behavioural psychologist Dr Barbara Fredrickson, experiencing positive to negative emotions in the ratio of 3-to-1 helps you to be more resilient, see new possibilities, better connect with others, and become the best version of yourself. And who doesn’t want all that!

Unfortunately, research shows that this is not the norm with 80% of people falling short of the ideal 3-to-1 positivity ratio. Wanna know what your current positivity ratio is? You can take Fredrickson’s free 2-minute online quiz and see how your emotions of the past day combine to create your positivity ratio.

Once you’ve got your benchmark, apply our top 3 ways to retrain your brain to focus on positives and increase your positivity ratio.

1 Separate fact from fiction

Your brain naturally tends to hone in on the negatives so issues can seem much bigger and more significant than they really are. Get into the habit of challenging your internal negative self-talk and worry with hard facts. It can help to write down the things you’re saying to yourself and challenge each statement with what evidence there is to support or dispute it. Then analyse the situation and ask yourself whether you’re reacting to a real or imagined situation. Remember to focus on the things that are in your control or that can influence.

2 Focus on what’s working

There’s always something positive, no matter how small, in any situation. It’s just a matter of looking for the positive “bright spots” and expanding on them.

Consciously focusing on what’s working (rather than what’s not) develops your ability to reframe situations and spot what’s valuable and positive in a situation and in people.

Ask yourself (and your workmates):

•    what’s right with this situation?

•    what do I/they do well that can help to improve the situation?

Using this positive lens approach will dramatically improve your ability to tackle challenges, be creative and be more productive. It is also a powerful yet simple way for effecting positive change and motivating others to give the very best they have to offer.

3 Keep track of your gratitudes

Being positive, and ultimately happy, comes from recognising and appreciating what you already have – not from getting something you don’t have. Every day reflect on what you’re grateful for and keep a short note of 3 good things that happened that day.

It’s best to choose a specific time of day and develop a routine, such as the last thing you do before leaving work or at night before bed. You can get a gratitude app (like Day One) that sends you a daily email reminder and keeps track of your gratitudes for the day.

Use these simple tips to cultivate positivity.

Do you have other ways to stay positive?