Have you ever woke up in a good mood only to have a phone call ruin your day?  Have you ever arrived to work with a positive mindset only to have the office climate depress your spirit?

You work too hard on establishing and maintaining your mental, emotional, and physical health to allow someone or something to diminish it.  This is why you must be determined to "protect your space".  The people we come into contact with, the places that we go, and the actions and habits that we take all have the potential to affect us positively or negatively.  Here are some questions to think about to help identify the positive and negative influences in your life that may affect your space:

• How does (insert name of person or place) make me feel?  Am I in a depressed mood or negative mind state after this interaction? Or do I feel good about myself?
• Do I get excited to interact with (insert name of person or place) or do I feel a sense of dread or duty?
• Do I feel energized or do I feel physically tired and drained after interacting with (insert name of person or place)?
• Can I be my authentic self with (insert name of person) or at (insert place) or do I feel like I am pretending or putting up a front?

You may have realized that certain people, places, or things are negatively affecting you mentally, emotionally, or physically.  So what do you do about it?  The easiest solution is to cut those things off, but we know that is not always possible.  You may be forced to interact with a person because they are a relative or coworker.  You may be forced to go to a certain place, such as your job.  Here are some strategies for protecting your space from these negative influences:

1. Recognize the influence.  Understanding how something affects you is the first step to protecting yourself against it.  When your eyes are opened, you can mentally prepare yourself for what is to come.
2. Meditate.  Begin your day with meditation.  You may include positive thinking or reciting affirmations and mantras.  The more you strengthen your mental state at the beginning of the day, the better you will be at tackling the day's challenges.
3. Be kind.  Even in the midst of negativity, resist the urge to give back what you get.  Be kind to everyone, everywhere.
4. Write.  Write in a journal and reflect on how you protected your space.  Think about what worked and what did not.
5. Exercise and make healthy eating choices.  Your physical health is linked to your emotional and mental health.  Exercising regularly, eating breakfast, and staying hydrated will help you tackle threats to your space throughout the day.

Let’s be honest.  Conflict in the workplace and in business happens.  Sometimes, personalities clash, stress causes some to speak or act out of frustration, or opinions and feelings dominate.  When conflict happens, how we handle it can determine if bridges will be burned or if working relationships can be preserved.  Here are a few tips for handling conflict in the workplace.

1. Treat others with respect.  Always show respect to others as professionals and as human beings.  Showing respect will guide how you speak and act toward those who you experience conflict with.  It can be difficult to show respect to someone who has disrespected you, but you must be determined to be the bigger person, especially if you serve in a leadership role.
2. Guard your words.  Once something is said, it cannot be taken back.  Words that are spoken carelessly can lead to further argument, anger, and hurt.  Be careful to speak about the conflict at hand and not turn to belittling others or making personal attacks.  Also, you should avoid profanity or yelling.
3. Seek resolutions.  The goal of resolving a conflict is to mend relationships and move forward, not to “win”.  If you have this goal in mind, your speech and actions will lead to peacemaking instead of further argument. On the other hand, if your only goal is to prove that you are right, the conflict will not likely be resolved.
4. Be humble.  Apologies go a long way.  If you see that you are wrong or have made a mistake, offer a sincere apology.

When you experience conflict in the workplace, understand that everything may not be resolved and restored right away. What is important is that you do your part in resolving the conflict and handle yourself in a professional way.