Protecting your energy at work
Do you often feel like your workplace environment brings you down?
Do you wake up energized but leave work feeling wiped out, mentally
exhausted, and emotionally drained? Have you isolated yourself from your
coworkers and still feel super unmotivated? Does this bother you because you
actually like your job? If so, you are suffering from EVSD: Energy Vampire
Stress Disorder.*
EVSD is rampant in workplace settings and it sucks
the energy right out of you. Energy Vampires gossip non-stop about
coworkers, blame others for their own mistakes, and are usually complaining
about something: the traffic, the weather, their family, your family, the
city, the country, Planet Earth. And even though you've always been focused
on what's good, you've somehow developed EVSD.
EVSD occurs when
you're exposed to Energy Vampires every day. It impacts your home life, your
relationships, and your physical health. Quality of sleep, appetite,
concentration, work performance -- it all takes a hit. Fortunately, we can
treat EVSD. Read on.
For starters, here's something important for you
to know: When a coworker has a chronic negative mindset, guess what? It has
nothing to do with you. Maybe that person is dealing with a world of
hurt/fear/anger and they don't realize how they're affecting others. Or they
don't care. All the same, you're not responsible for them. You are not the
Chief Mood Officer. Your responsibility is for your thoughts, emotions, and
behavior.
We tend to develop EVSD when too much negativity throws us
off course, disconnecting us from our own value system. We begin to focus on
what we don't like and don't want. Or we fixate on how the Energy Vampire
needs to change.We forget that we have a say in the matter, a way of
impacting our workplace for the good. Maybe we forget because it's simply
easier to walk away or isolate ourselves. But do you want to feel drained
every single day? No, I didn't think so.
Start focusing on what's
important to you and go from there. As an example, if it's a sense of
community and a happy workplace that you want, ask yourself if your behavior
supports that kind of positive environment. I'm not referring to being an
outgoing, extroverted, life-of-the-party kind of person; I'm referring to
being an authentic person who is true to your own values.
If your
nature is to be kind, then show kindness. Why stop in the face of
negativity? If being thoughtful comes easily to you, be considerate with
everyone, even and especially with Energy Vampires. Why them? Because
everyone is fighting some kind of internal battle and it's not for us to
play judge. Maybe your kindness and consideration will become useful tools
the Energy Vampire can use to fight their battles. You never know what kind
of impact your good nature will have on someone, but it definitely won't
hurt. And best of all, being authentic to who you are is the ultimate cure
for EVSD.
Try it for a day and see what happens.
Reach out to me if you want to share
your experience, or if you have a well-being question for a future issue of
this newsletter. Have an amazing day!
Born in Los Angeles and raised in Miami, Yvonne Castaneda is a Behavioral Health Clinician in the Adult Medicine Department at EBNHC. She holds a master's degree in social work from Boston College and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Yvonne is also a certified life coach, personal trainer, and yoga instructor. She can be reached at castaney@ebnhc.org.