The Thankful List
Starting a new job or internship somewhere unfamiliar? It’s easy to feel like you are an outsider or a “guest in someone’s house” for the first couple of weeks. You aren’t sure what is the correct protocol, everything is really formal, and you might not know many people. But that’s okay! Everyone needs their own time to adjust to a new place, new co-workers, and new bosses. Here are a few tips for transforming from feeling like a guest to being right at home!
- Look and feel your best. This starts even before you step into the front door of your office or work place. Make sure you feel like you look presentable and great this could be done by wearing a cute (but business appropriate) outfit, or making sure your hair and make up are done. For the gentlemen it could be wearing a favorite tie or having a cleanly pressed shirt. Feeling like you look 110% will make you feel more confident. The more confident you feel the easier it will be to feel like you can engage with the professionals around you. It’s an old saying but it is so true, “dress for the part you want to have!”
- Get to know your co-workers and bosses. It’s easy to forget but they are people too. They have families, go on vacation, and have stories to tell. Ask them about their weekend or how their day is going. People appreciate that kind of thing and they will begin to ask you in turn. Building a rapport with others is important in feeling like you are part of the team. Eat lunch in the break room with them, visit their cubicle or desk. Get to know them and let them get to know you.
- Do not leave early and do not take short cuts. In your first couple of weeks you will have to make a lot of first impressions. Make sure that people’s first impressions of you are that you are hard working and dependable. People will treat you differently based on if you are a uncommitted worker or one that is hard working. Make sure you are the latter. You teach people how to treat you and if you skimp on the work and cut out early, you may not like the results!
- Participate. If a group of co-workers invite you to go to a movie or out to dinner or a baseball game, go! You can get to know your co-workers in a more relaxed setting, cut loose (a little, don’t be a company PR nightmare), and have fun. It’s a great way to make new friends in your office. While you don’t have to say yes to everything, saying no to everything they ask you to do may cause the invites to stop. Make time in your out of work schedule to attend these events!
- Add personal touches to your space. Whether it’s a desk, cubicle, or the background of a computer, make it your own! Add your own unique touches to your own space to make it feel more inviting. If you feel comfortable in your space you will be more relaxed. So add a little zen garden , fun mini poster, or cute desktop background! Your space will be instantly more cozy!
- “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does!” William James In the first few weeks you will be challenged to learn all the ins and outs of your internship or job. You will be tired, get annoyed, be so happy, and find out if it is what you love. Through it all work hard and stay positive! What you do each day matters in ending up where you want to be career wise in the long haul!
These are just a few tips to go from house guest to right at home! As you work through your new job or internship you will find even more ways to leave your mark! Good luck!
Life can jumble itself up in your lap all at once. It’s crazy how so many things can pile up. It’s hard not to get stressed and freak out. It’s hard not to feel overworked and like you haven’t had a break, no calm before the storm.
It’s important when these feelings come around that we have the time we don’t think we have: the time to relax. This is when you need to take a few minutes or even an hour to just relax, just be. Whether it is closing your eyes for a couple of minutes and just focusing on your breathing, watching your favorite show, or going for a run. These things are important, they give our brain a break and allow us to unwind.
This can help us to start fresh and feel at least somewhat revived. If you can’t take more than a minute then just steal away a few quiet seconds to take some deep breaths and regroup.
You can do it, relax, revive, and get to it! :)
You cannot keep making yourself upset or angry about things that have happened in the past. It is so tempting to revisit old hurt feelings but this doesn’t help soothe the past, it only hurts the present. It brings things up that were supposed to be laid to rest, forgiven, and forgotten. People change, people grow. You have grown yourself. Therefore, stop reverting back to and thinking of your past self and past situations. Don’t ruin the future with things from the past. Recognize that they have happened and move on.
Having a rough day? Maybe you over slept or had a quiz in a class you weren’t expecting. These hiccups can really put a damper on our day, if we let them. We don’t have to let it though. We don’t have to start our day at a 2 and then by the time we go to bed register at a -50 (we’ve all done it, these are days when we think nothing will go right). If we choose to not be held down by the negative annoyances in our lives and find the good things we can turn our whole day around. Take a break for 2 minutes (It won’t even take that long) and think of 5 things that went right or are going well. Repeat them and add to the list!
Also, smile! Studies show that just the physical act of turning your lips into a smile can make you feel better!
Even when you are feeling weak, you are strong. Have the courage to face your fears and your troubles head on. Work through difficult problems, you will accomplish them because you have the abilities to overcome difficulties in your life. You are strong, don’t let your perception of yourself or your abilities fool you. You can do it!
When bad things happen to us or loved ones it can be very hard to deal with and make sense of. In these times of trouble we might want to run to the dark places in our mind and heart and shut the good things out in our life. Momentarily, this might make us feel better, we can get brief comfort from feeling as if the world isn’t such a good place.
However, to begin to heal from negative experiences we must continue to stay in the light. Continue to be positive and always, always look for the good around you. They can be simple things like sunshine or a smile. Find those good things and hold onto them. They are your anchor to moving past the negative into the positive. Don’t be afraid to try to find and look for happiness and positivity.
We grow stronger not by staying in the negative, but by having courage to look for and hold on to the positive.
Everyone loves to know they are appreciated now and then. Pay it forward and shower someone in gratitude! :)
You deserve to be respected and to respect yourself. Don’t let others treat you poorly or make you feel like you aren’t worth anything, you are. Even if you can’t see it right now you are. You deserve more than someone saying hurtful things to you or treating you in a manner that is hurtful. Respecting yourself also has to come from within. Don’t look at yourself in a negative way or treat yourself negatively. It’s hard to see the forest through the trees sometimes, but I promise you are worthy and deserving of self respect and respect from others.
