7-Steps to Improve Your Work Environment

Do you struggle with your work environment and co-workers? Are you wondering why and how to make improvements?

The people we work with are individual souls that we connect with on a daily basis, and these connections can impact our lives - just like our family and friends can. Eventually, they can become reflections of our unhealed, and often hidden, wounds. 

Difficulty connecting with your coworkers is common. Even if you work from home, these relationships can carry special challenges. Below are some mindful practices that can prevent these challenges from continuing to negatively affect you and encourage spiritual growth:

1 - Recognize Your Emotional Wounds

First, become aware of your unhealed wounds by contemplating your own story, and how that story plays into these relationships. Many work-place interactions can trigger our wounds; a domineering authority figure, certain charged phrases, particular body language - or even just the tone or energy of a situation.

These might bring emotions of anger, sadness, or other feelings dredged up from the past. Even though you may not consciously remember the initial situation or trauma, the body will remember and leave us clues like stiffness, tiredness, illness, etc. Self-awareness in and of itself is a form of healing.

Also, be aware - this can also be the other way around! You may be the trigger for other co-workers who haven’t faced certain wounds.

2 - Stop the Blame Game

Second, remove all sense of blame. Remember that it’s not your fault, not your co-workers’ fault. Generally speaking, most conflicts come from a place of either crying for love or fighting for love. In both cases the individual is looking to heal a wound. You can still be honest about what was done and not done, just take the heat off so that you can maneuver through the situation with clear eyes and a loving heart.

3 – Come Equipped!

Third, as a way to create peace between you and your co-workers, I recommend having multiple mindfulness tools at your disposal to pull out when you are feeling overwhelmed or confused by a troubling situation. 

• WAIT.  Calm down before responding.
• REASSESS.  Let go of unhealthy expectations on how someone SHOULD be. Most disappointments stem from having an expectation that’s not met.
• MEDITATE.  Have a daily meditation practice. 5 - 10 minutes a day to allow yourself to rest and reflect. 
• TREAT YOURSELF, KINDLY. Self-care techniques like going outside for some fresh air, eating a healthy snack, journaling, taking a bath when you get home after work, to getting a calming tea to help you return to your center. 
• COMMUNICATE.  Don’t be afraid to set boundaries. This is when you say what’s ok and what’s not. But be aware that it is inappropriate to expect a coworker to meet all of your emotional needs all the time. You’re at “work” - not on a date. So make sure your boundaries are fair and appropriate for working environments.

4 – Change the Context

Fourth, change the context of the situation. Whenever you feel like your boundaries have been crossed or feel hurt by what a co-worker said or did, allow yourself to feel, and then see it from different points of view. No judging either! This will give you perspective. Remember to remain strong, kind, and genuine with yourself in the process.

5 – Have an Ally

Fifth, build your tribe, no matter what size. Have someone in your life you can vent to who doesn’t judge or give unsolicited advice, has your back, cares, loves, and supports you.

6- Show Yourself Out

Sixth, it might be time to switch jobs. Accepting that a situation just doesn't work can be very freeing. Dissatisfaction is a clue that you're not where you want to be. However, be aware that you will still be the main factor in each new job - which means that if you still have the same issues when switching to another job, you might need to consider if the real underlying issue is within you. Still heal your wounds. You can't outrun yourself.

7 – Talk About It

Seventh, whether it's talk-therapy, hypnotherapy, or another modality, many find immense benefit in having a trained professional's support when navigating their work-life. Research who to go to and ask for recommendations from others. And if your soul pulls you toward a more spiritual solution, all of the talented Psychics on PathForward are always available to share intuitive guidance to help you through any work-place drama.

Through accepting these trials life puts before us we mature. These tools, patterns, and struggles are universal. Know that you are not alone through this process. Everyone has challenges: it's how we respond to those challenges that will determine the result we get.

Psychic Halo is an intuitive life-guide with over 12 years of experience serving hundreds of clients. Halo is skilled in Mediumship, energy healing, and Tarot and is the voice of PathForward’s Guided Meditation Podcast, “The Mindful Path.” Psychic Halo x4168