Accentuating the Positive During a Pandemic

A global pandemic can be challenging, but accentuating the positive during a pandemic could change how you cope with those challenges. Positive thinking has been shown to link to higher levels of happiness and decreased levels of anxiety. As a company, Murphy’s Corporate Housing Associates weaves positivity into our core values and everyday practices, and now we are here to help you as we navigate the uncharted waters of the coronavirus pandemic together while embracing the power of positive thinking.

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Science and Positivity

Have you ever been around a person who always seems to see the bright side of things? It is almost as if they know something the rest of us don’t. Maybe they do.

“Be positive,” is a phrase that we are so used to hearing in pithy phrases, it can be easy to underestimate the importance behind it. The word “positive” is generally defined as a good or constructive attribute. But did you know that studies have shown that the simple act of being positive can yield additional benefits such as happiness, a better attitude, and a sense of value?

While we may not be able to control our circumstances, we can control how positively we react to them. Although it is possible for an event to be negative in and of itself, how we think about it can help form our subsequent actions.

Think of yourself as the conductor of a train parked at the station. Up ahead the tracks diverge in two different directions. As the conductor, you can choose which direction the train goes. One track leads into a dark and barren horizon while the other features sunshine and picturesque countryside views. If your mood reflects the scenery of the more foreboding track, you might be inclined to take it deciding that you are in no mood for sunshine and roses. But what if taking the brighter track could actually improve how you view the remainder of your day?

Aside from the more immediate benefits of positive thinking lifting our moods, studies have also shown that it may help with big picture benefits such as:

  • Crafting coping skills
  • Developing resources to better cope with future challenges
  • Being more open minded
  • Embracing life

To optimize positivity in our own lives, it can be helpful to embrace it in various aspects such as goals, health, home, work, and more. It won’t change our circumstances, but it might just change the way we think about them.

Murphy’s Core Values Designed To Enhance Positivity

At Murphy’s Corporate Housing Associates, we operate under the mission statement that valuing people drives us and service defines us. For more than 45 years, we have provided corporate housing via fully furnished apartments geared to traveling business executives.

During that time, as a company we have endured difficult challenges such as recessions and natural disasters like hurricanes and floods. Many of these events have impacted both our business and our staff, but we have collectively persevered by controlling what we can, primarily our ability to create a company culture of positivity as noted in our core values:

  • Be welcoming and engaging to all
  • Remain client focused
  • Do the right thing
  • Utilize proactive problem solving
  • Be result driven
  • Have fun

Our core values have been the key to remaining positive throughout every challenge we have endured. It has served us well and still continues to do so as we approach our 50 year anniversary of being in the business.

One of our goals at Murphy’s is to provide clients with a worry-free experience when it comes to corporate lodging. As we are all in this pandemic together, we want to help you cultivate that same positive and worry-free experience within the walls of your homes in hopes that it will serve you as well as it has served our company.

5 Ways To Accentuate The Positive During A Pandemic

As a pandemic settles on our nation and creates a whole new normal for many of us, it can be disconcerting to say the least. There will be challenges in the form of health, unemployment, finances, and relationships that are natural byproducts of a global pandemic. But amongst these hardships are opportunities to tap into positivity that may help us change how we cope in the here and now and for years in the future.

Here are five ways to accentuate the positive during a pandemic:

Close-up Of Gratitude Word With Pen On Notebook Over Wooden Desk

Practice Gratitude

A series of studies have shown gratitude to be closely associated with a higher level of happiness. There is always something to be grateful for. It doesn’t mean we ignore our circumstances, but it means we are cognizant of the fact that there is still good present in our lives. For example, wearing a mask to work may be hot, sweaty, and uncomfortable, BUT if you have to wear it to work then it means you currently have a job which helps provide for you and your family.

Start Your Day On The Right Foot

Sleep can be a blissful escape from the pressures and problems facing us all day. Waking up from that escape can feel quite jarring for some people as reality begins to sink back in. Although the temptation can be to grab your smartphone and check the news to see what happened while you were sleeping, instead, take back your first waking moments by meditating and enjoying some phone-free quiet time.

Incorporate Fun and Laughter In Your Day

Depending on our circumstances, fun can sometimes feel like the last thing we want to embrace. But, fun can be as simple as taking an hour to dedicate to a hobby that brings you joy or watching a comedy with your loved ones. Make it a point to laugh once a day and try to have a little fun too.

Foster A Pet

At Murphy’s we know pets are important to our clients, which is why many of our properties are pet friendly. Scientists have long thought that pets can help reduce harmful levels of anxiety, stress, loneliness, and depression. So why not consider fostering or adopting a pet? Pets can help keep you company and maybe even add a healthy dose of fun and playfulness to your life during this difficult season and far beyond.

Murphy’s office is also pet friendly and several people in our staff have fosters and rescued animals, so if you have any questions please let us know!

Have faith in yourself and humankind

No one is perfect and there are bound to be hiccups and obstacles along the way, but by having faith in yourself and humankind in general, you are acknowledging that you and your community can get through this pandemic together.

Try incorporating some or all of these five tips into your life daily for a week or two and then take a moment to evaluate how you are feeling compared to when you began.

Positivity is not just a concept, it is something we earnestly practice at Murphy’s Corporate Housing Associates. We look forward to seeing how embracing positivity impacts you.