How to obtain a “Yes, I can!” attitude? – A guide to a positive mindset

At Tobania we consider it important that our employees have the opportunity to keep developing. Not only their professional skills, but their personal ones as well. After all, it’s all about “Mens sana in corpore sano”, right? That’s why we launched the #TOBEpulse well-being program in which we offer bite-sized learning snacks to invest in mental and physical health.

For instance, we recently shared an article on training the mindset to boost positive intelligence (PQ). And since a happy mindset applies to everyone, we are happy to share our insights with you as well. Let’s go!

Me, myself and my PQ

PQ stands for positive intelligence. You can recognise people with high PQ by the following characteristics:

• They have a consciously positive attitude.
• They turn setbacks into opportunities.
• They turn fears into confidence.
• They achieve goals and are successful.
• They are inspiring.
• They collaborate constructively.
• They are mentally resilient.

Your PQ determines the following:

• How fast you can switch from a negative thought to a positive one.
• How soon you can recover from a negative thought.
• How long you can keep your composure during challenging moments.
• How you impact your family, colleagues, results and yourself.

Want to know what your PQ is?

A mind full of thoughts

Every day, we have about 60.000 thoughts. That means – quick maths – we have on average 1 thought per 1 second. We are constantly thinking about all sorts of things. Let’s think (here we go with some fresh thoughts): we think about dinner, we think about how annoying traffic is, we think about that old lady crossing the street and how we will age ourselves, and we think about whether we have locked the front door. We sometimes get frustrated, but right after that, something conjures a smile on our face. We think all day long. And now comes the shocking part: did you know that 80% of these thoughts are negative? They come with feelings of disappointment, insecurity or at certain changes, for example.

The way you think is an important element, of course, because our way of thinking determines what we feel and what we feel determines our actions. Read that again.

Fortunately, there are many ways to change the way you think to a more positive way. Keep in mind that you cannot ignore your thoughts and negative feelings. You have to notice them in order to accept them.

How to invest in positive intelligence?

• Know your brain and train it.
• Know that 25% of your energy goes to your brain, so be aware that the more you will need to use your brain, the more you will need to refuel your engine.
• Get to know your inner saboteurs.
• Manage your emotions smartly.
• Use your ability to adapt to any situation.

Your turn

You have to keep in mind that you are at the steering wheel. You are in control. So, let’s look at an exercise to train being in control:

First step? Notice when you have a negative thought. If you struggle to notice, try paying attention to moments when you feel tired, lifeless, irritable or unmotivated. These are little alarm bells, wanting to let your inner you know that you have too many stimuli (! Note that sometimes you just need more rest or because some other reason of course). If you notice a negative thought, just say ‘stop’ and do the following things:

• Observe your behaviour or thoughts.
• Consider your options (do I have influence; can I change this situation?).
• Look at it from a different perspective.
• Find one/or more solution(s).
• Think about the possibilities.
• Keep doing this – your brain will start doing it itself.