Amy - Tired of Toxicity - try a “gratitude journal”

[a425couple]

Ask Amy: The office seems more toxic than ever

By Amy Dickinson
Oct. 29, 2020 at 9:00 p.m. PDT
Dear Amy: Like so many others, I have faced my share of struggles trying
to get through the pandemic and keep my health, family and career on track.

I worked remotely and am back working at our office space. We employees
basically trade off working in the office and working from home. Working
at the office is different than it used to be, but this is a compromise
that seems to be effective, at least in the short term.

We wear masks in public spaces and are extremely careful to distance
from one another, but — weirdly — one dynamic left over from the "before
times" seems to persist: some of my co-workers still seem to traffic in
negative gossip and petty sniping about management, and one another.

Honestly, this bothers me a lot more than it used to, and I'm wondering
if there is anything I can do to change a dynamic that has more or less
infiltrated our workplace.

— Tired of Toxicity

Tired of Toxicity: A recent study published in Applied Psychology
explores the effect of gratitude on negative workplace behavior. The
study looked at 351 people, testing the effectiveness of keeping a
“gratitude journal” for 10 days. Employees were asked to spend a brief
time each morning simply writing down things they are grateful for.

The study concluded that participants who wrote in gratitude journals
participated in significantly less gossip and other toxic behaviors at
work. There are a number of theories about why this practice seems to
work, but basically anchoring to gratitude can significantly boost an
individual’s mental and emotional outlook and attitude. And people who
feel good (or better) about themselves and their lives are kinder toward
others.

This might be a good exercise for you and your colleagues; if you’re not
in a position to directly address the toxicity and suggest this as a
potential solution, then you might try it — or meditation — on your own.
Starting each day with a mindful recognition of the good things in your
own life may make the toxicity seem less pointed and painful.