At moments of acute work stress, you may feel that a smile will cost you some dignity. But what about the simple wisdom that says “A smile costs you nothing”?
As an international stress-counsellor and motivational speaker, I found that sulking was prevalent among those who tended to complain that they were at the bottom in life, as with long-serving prisoners.
But in war-zones, where law-abiding (indeed, law-enforcing) people have come through much worse conditions, the smile is adopted as a symbol of survival and the triumph of the spirit.
In this recession, the smile may become the mark of the survivor. If you can cope optimistically with new and unexpected conditions, forge yourselves into a team and win through, then you have triumphed. And the ones who are still thinking negatively, because they were unprepared for change, will lose out, and probably continue to blame everyone but themselves.
Find out more about these and many other aspects of work stress at [email protected]. Tel: +44 (0) 20 8954 1593 www.carolespiersgroup.co.uk