Stress Relief Tool - Keep a Kudos File

We've all had those days. We're working hard and then we get criticized for something. And we focus on that criticism instead of all the praise we've received in the past. This is why word-of-mouth communication is so important. During my work on my PhD, I found that people were 16 times more likely to share a negative experience than a positive experience. A great way to overcome that feeling of negativity that comes from some criticism is to keep a kudos file. A file of text messages, email messages, written cards, pictures of your awards there that you can refer to when you get criticized for something so that you can reinforce all the positive you've made in the past. Research shows that people benefit benefit significantly from positive feedback about their strengths and contributions. It fosters healthy emotions and resourcefulness. During my 12 years teaching college classes, I used to keep hundreds of files of different student evaluations that I would receive from my classes. It helped immensely when something didn't go well in class that I could refer to one or more different student evaluations to reinforce why I was working so hard. One of my favorites was this personal card I received from one student that I'll read for you right now. Dear Professor Alexander, just wanted to say thank you for a wonderful and fun quarter. Never thought school and class on a Friday night could be that much fun and enriching. You made coming to school worthwhile rather than a chore. "Rarely have I enjoyed a class more than yours. Thank you for being a great teacher." That makes a big difference and helps me get in touch with one of my superpowers. So what could you put in your kudos file to help keep a positive mood about your work?