I find myself getting very angry at work…at the work I have to do, at co-workers and customers making requests of me (which is part of the job), at myself for buffering instead of just doing the work, at the company, our systems, etc, etc, etc.

I understand intellectually how to choose better thoughts and know that the things I’m thinking aren’t helping, but I go so quickly to anger and frustration and can’t seem to choose the positive or even neutral thoughts in the moment.

My problem is likely that the thought I go to in those moments is “I hate this”…and that’s no wonder why I go straight to anger:

Unintentional Model
C: work
T: I hate this
F: anger
A: huff and puff, roll my eyes, get indignant, tense up, speak and react quickly, rush people through things to get on to the next task as quickly as possible, avoid the work or buffer my way through, look for more evidence to prove how crappy things are…
R: I hate my job

Intentional Model
C: work
T: This is just a part of the job.
F: calm
A: Don’t attach more meaning to requests or tasks than is actually there, look for action steps, accept what is asked of me, be present in the moment, relax into the flow of work.
R: I do my job.

C: Work
T: I am here to help people.
F: generous
A: look forward to requests knowing that I have the knowledge and capability to help, welcome requests, encourage challenging projects, want to share.
R: I help people and help myself by not living/working in a constant state of frustration.

So how do I choose these better-feeling thoughts? Can I get them tattooed into my eyelids for quick reference?