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Yesterday, we talked about how your energy impacts your sales.  If you are tired, annoyed, burned out you are most likely giving off negative energy.  And, it impacts your ability to do business.  No one wants to do business with someone who is negative.  It can hurt your image, your brand, your sales and your profitability.

We all go through this.  It’s called LIFE.  But, you’ve gotta turn that frown upside-down!  (I blame my husband for that corniness.  He’s known to say that around this house quite frequently.)  So… here you have it…

5 Ways to Turn Negative Energy into Positive Energy:

1. Devote 30 minutes each day to yourself

EVERYONE has 30 minutes to spare.  (I don’t want any excuses, folks!)  Spend a few minutes committing yourself to 30 minutes of ‘something’ daily for yourself.  I encourage you to make this 30 minute activity first thing each morning.  Otherwise, the day takes hold and we push this commitment onto the backburner over something work-related.  I recently committed myself to do 30 minutes daily of some sort of physical activity (exercise, for lack of a better word).  I want a healthier lifestyle, but the sanity and balance it has brought to my day has been incredible.  By committing myself to doing this daily (as opposed to exercising 1 hour, 3 days a week) it has become a habit.  And, dare I say, I find myself craving it.  (Who’da thunk?)

2. Know when you are most effective and positive

What are your happy times of the day?  What are your not-so-happy times of the day?  Plan your consults and meetings around this.  This may sound silly, but if you think about it… there are times of the day when you are most effective and “fresh”.  For me, Mondays are OUT.  I am not happy on Mondays.  And, I can be downright negative.  I also know that I’m not a morning person; early morning meetings aren’t smart for me.  At the same time, if a meeting is too late in the day, I’ll have the exhaustion of the day weighing me down.  I’m most “happy” and “fresh” between 10am-2pm so those are ideal times for me to have meetings.  This doesn’t always work – especially when clients want to meet in the evening after their work day.  But, it’s still something I’m aware of when I’m talking to people on the phone and conducting general business.

3. Find something positive

This one is a toughie – but it can be very effective.  It requires you to grab hold of your mind and put yourself in charge.  When you feel yourself steering into negative territory.  Stop.  Think.  What are some positive things happening in your life right now?  What are some positive outcomes that will come out of your current situation?  I see life’s biggest challenges as life’s greatest opportunities.  Write down some positive things in your life and tape them to your computer.  Look at that list when you feel negativity rising.

4. Stay off social media

If you are exuding negative energy, get off the Facebook, get off the Twitter.  These are not good arenas for you if you have a tendency towards public venting.  Oh sure – we all need a good vent from time to time – and some of us lean on our social media friendships for this.  But, when it is day-in day-out venting, you need to lay off the Twitter.  It’s hurting your brand and your company.  Also, social media can drive a negative feeling.  If you are having a bad day and others on social media are having a bad day, this can add to it.  Take a little social media time out.

5. Talk it out

I think one of the hardest things about being a business owner is that we are so isolated, in a little cocoon.  If we work by ourselves (many of us from our homes) we miss out on valuable workplace relationships.   These are relationships that without our even knowing may boost us in times of trouble.  The water cooler chatter is the real deal.  (I think this is why social media has become so important for us entrepreneurs.)  So when we have a bad day (or week – or month) we fester, fester, fester and exude negative energy.  It’s important to find another way to talk it out… call a friend, or drop all of your stressful mess and have lunch with someone.  Get it all out.  It’s incredibly cathartic just to be around someone else… especially if they have positive energy.  That energy will rub off on you… and you may even get a laugh in there.

I’m gonna sneak in just one more… SMILE.  It doesn’t fix everything.  But, forcing a smile when it’s the last thing you feel, can actually make you feel a bit better.  I promise.

What are your tips for turning negative energy into positive energy?