Introduction

Overcoming negative thoughts is one of the first steps to take in order to gain mindfulness at both work and home life. The next time you get stressed about a deadline at work or a personal financial issue, notice the thoughts you start to have. Do you tell yourself to take a breath and you'll get it completed on time? Probably not. On the other hand, do you immediately start thinking that you won't get the project finished in time? If you are like a lot of human beings, your mind probably jumps to the worst conclusions that involve anything from getting fired, to being homeless, to the repercussions of not paying a bill on time. These types of thoughts should never enter your mind, because there is no room for these types of negative thinking, and there are many tips and tricks to help you get past this destructive line of thinking.

Free yourself from negative thinking

It's finally time to take control of your life, and your thoughts. It will be an amazing transformation that you won't believe until you experience it firsthand. Being free from negative thinking is one of the most exhilarating feelings ever. Life is already stressful enough, so why do you want to add to it? You, and only you, have it within yourself to keep these negative thoughts out of your life forever. It's very easy to get into this bad habit, but it's not easy to get rid of these thoughts. It takes much concentration and constant mind and body control, but once you continually practice this new way of thinking, it will be easier to keep the negative thoughts out of your head. You will soon learn to make this a habit, and it will totally transform all areas of your life.

The effects of stress on health

Stress can have a debilitating effect on both your mental and physical health. According to WebMD, "Stress is the body's reaction to any change that requires an adjustment or response." The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently declared stress as a hazard of the workplace that costs the American industry more than $300 billion annually. (WebMD, 2012) Here are just a few symptoms of stress that you should be on the lookout for:

• Headache

• Stomach issues

• Insomnia

• Muscle tension

• Chest pain

• Fatigue

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Lack of motivation

• Loss of interest

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• Abusing things such as alcohol, drugs, or even food

• Moodiness

• Irritability

All of the mentioned symptoms may not seem like such a big deal if you experience them intermittently throughout the year, but after time they will have an unpleasant effect on your quality of life. These things can also lead to more serious health issues, such as high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease or substance abuse. (www.mayoclinic.org, 2013) The effects of stress on your physical and mental well-being are very serious, and is not meant to be taken lightly. Now is the time to break the chaos in your life and start living your life in the moment and free of stress. It's an attainable goal if you have the tools to succeed.

The mind body connection

There is undoubtedly a strong connection between your mind and body. Mindfulness will connect your mind and body and will allow you to deal better with everyday stresses. Once you are on the road to training yourself to be more mindful and more aware of the present, you will be surprised at how easily you will get through the day, and become a more successful and less stressed person at both home and work, which is something that everyone strives for.

Tips and tricks

There are many helpful tips and tricks to take into account when trying to ditch negative thinking. Here are just a few to keep in mind:

• Write down any negative thoughts. Take the time to write down any negative thoughts you have. Then you can take that piece of paper and either throw it away or shred it.

• Ask yourself questions about each of these thoughts. The second you hear a negative thought come in to your head, you can ask yourself a few questions, such as: 1) Is the thought helpful? 2) Is the thought true? and 3) Is the thought important? This will help you gain a better perspective of these types of thoughts. (Barbara Markway, 2013)

• Exercise. Physical exercise is a great way to ground yourself and help positive thoughts flow. This is a top stress reliever for people everywhere. This will introduce endorphins into your body that will make you feel incredible.

• Breathe. Just a moment to silence your mind with some deep breaths will do wonders. Take the time to close your eyes and breathe deeply while only focusing on your breathing. You can do this several times a day up to five minutes each time.

Introduction

Communicating effectively within the workplace is one of the most important aspects of being successful. There is an art to effective communication, because you have to be firm and concise, without being rude. This is something that takes practice, and being mindful of both your words and actions is the first step. Miscommunication is something that can be an issue in the workplace, and being a bad communicator won't get you very far in life. There are many ways in which to learn how to be a more effective communicator.

Effective communication

Gone are the days when people only had face-to-face meetings. Even though a lot of companies still have meetings, technology has changed things a bit. Now we have access to Skype meetings or FaceTime meetings. While technology has afforded many things to make our lives easier, there is a downside. In this day and age, we are so bogged down with social media and electronic devices that something has been lost. While the ever evolving technology has been an excellent thing for businesses all over the world, it's important to take the time to get to know co-workers so that everything that's communicated isn't being said through emails and texts. However, when sending emails and texts, it's important to be careful how your messages are coming across.

• Mindfulness. When it comes to communicating effectively in the workplace, being mindful is the first step. Be in the present, and don't let your mood, or a personal issue get in the way of the information you are trying to convey. Be in the present, and think about what it is you want to say.

• Think about the type of information you want to get across. Ask yourself if this is a simple question that can be asked in an email, or if it's something more detailed that should be asked face-to-face. Keep in mind this also depends on what type of information you are dealing with. For example, if you are in a field like human resources or legal, some things should be put in an email so you have evidence of sending it. On the other hand, some things should never be put in an email. Most employees aren't aware that their workplace communications, such as email and texts, can be pulled in to different types of litigation.

• Don't communicate immediately if you are angry. This is an important tip because once you hit "send" on that email, you won't be able to take it back. It can be difficult sometimes to know what tone the sender has. So, never send an email if you are mad or upset. Calm down by taking a break. Getting up from your desk for a few moments will do wonders for your stress level.

When it comes to both your personal life and work life, communication is by far one of the most important things you should take the time to learn. Lack of communication is the root of many problems.

If you are in a leadership role, it's vital to be an effective leader. There are certain steps you should take in order to have a truly effective leadership style.

• Don't be afraid to take chances. Never be afraid to take chances. If you are in a leadership role, you didn't get there by accident. People with meek personalities hardly ever find themselves at the top tier of a company. Do things that are going to get the attention of upper management and do them confidently. Taking chances and being confident will help obtain a successful life.

• Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Never be afraid to make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes at one point or another, and these are all learning opportunities. As a leader, it's actually good for the people working around you to see that you make mistakes, as well. It helps build a better team knowing that the work environment is a forgiving one. While mistakes on the job are certainly not wanted, there will always be a mistake made some way or another. People aren't perfect, and everyone needs to learn that it's okay to make the occasional mistake, just as long as they have some sort of personal growth in the process.

• Explain the expected end result. When asking someone to assist you with a task, it's important to explain what type of results you are looking for. Discuss the project at length so they know exactly what it is that needs to be accomplished. Also, don't forget to set a due date.

• Always follow up. There will be many times throughout the week that you will ask a co-worker or employee to help you with something. Don't just send an email and assume that it has been taken care of. It's important to always follow up at a later date to ensure everything has been handled in a timely manner.

• Be friendly. It's important to be friendly so you are approachable. While there is a fine line between being too friendly with employees, there's a way to communicate in a friendly way without wanting to be their best friend.

• Empower your co-workers and/or employees . There are many things that you can do to empower the people you work with. First and foremost, always value the people on your team. This is shown in both your words and actions. (Heathfield, humanresources.about.com, 2014) It is also important to always have trust in your employees and be a mentor when they need it.

• Be flexible.
  Always be flexible, because each and every person on your team is different. From the way they do their work to their own communication style, each one is going to be a different challenge. It is important that the leader is willing to learn about each person and to take the time to know what makes each of them tick. As one article states, "The best managers consistently allow different leaders to emerge and inspire their teammates (and themselves!) to the next level." (Benincasa, 2014) The important thing to remember when it comes to being an effective leader is to know you aren't perfect, and you will make mistakes. Practicing mindfulness will help you be more aware of the things going on around you. And being in the moment will make you not only a more effective communicator, but an effective leader as well.