They Come Without Warning.  You're going along minding your own business and out of nowhere... Ping!  You have ANTs in your Brain. 

Sometimes it takes minutes, sometimes, hours, often it's days before they're gone.  You try to shake it, but it lingers nevertheless.  You think of affirmations you have heard and still they persist.  Your brain is on overload, your 24/7 always available lifestyle just caught up with you.

What are they? 

They are Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs) that sneak in without warning.

"A man should take away not only unnecessary acts, but also unnecessary thoughts, for thus superfluous acts will not follow after." — Marcus Aurelius: Was a Roman emperor and philosopher

Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs)

They can happen to anyone, at anytime.    When it happens it negatively impacts your work, your interaction with co-workers, and your productivity.  You find you're not in the mood to do 'one more thing.'  It feels as though the requests are non-stop and you have no choice.  You feel you cannot say NO so you accept that one more thing to do.  But it's breaking your spirit.   

Here are three things you can do to turn it around:

1. Acknowledge their request.  Recognize that yes, the work needs to be done, and you'd be happy to do it.  You need to put it in perspective though.  Ask the question "When do you need this by?"  It could be your manager is just getting it off their desk and delegating it.
   
2. Negotiate for time.  Determine if your manager is now re-prioritizing your work.  Ask the question "Are we changing the priority of my tasks?"  Inform your manager that you have been working on tasks based on priority as it was set at your last meeting.  You can also ask for help, or ask "which of the tasks is now at the bottom of the priority list"  Often when you clarify your circumstances you will find that, like Steven Covey mentioned in the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, the manager doesn't even remember how many things are already on your plate.
3. Transform your refusal into a positive.  Recommend alternatives or say something to reaffirm your relationship.  "I would love to help, however I have other priorities.  Perhaps some other time."  If it's your manager you could say "I can get this done as long as we begin at the end of task 'X'."
   

Now the ANTs have new meaning.   You have a means of redirecting them.

Change Your Brain

 Thoughts are living things that manifest themselves into your relationships, your behavior, and your health.  When the ANTs take over your brain, your thoughts, lead to beliefs, that impact your behavior, and consequently the results you get. 

The Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs) you have, can lead to stress headaches, stomach aches, and at their worst, high blood pressure and hear attacks. 

By taking positive action using the three steps outlined here, you can turn those thoughts around through assertive action.  You will be in control of your response to tense situations, at minimum by making your request, and having a discussion about the work to be done.  

Recognition of the ANTs when they strike, puts you on the alert to take action in a positive manner, by turning them around. 

Learn pattern recognition by taking note of the things that cause these negative feelings.  Then when they occur, you can take control of them, before they control your behavior.  You can then turn around a potential bad situation by transforming it into a learning experience.