The environment you are in can impact you mentally, physically, and emotionally. If your work environment is filled with negativity, it impacts you more than you think. You can walk into work having the best day so far, but as the hours go by you may start to become like your environment.

If you sit and you ask yourself, “Why am I so sad, depressed, and overwhelmed?” it may be because the environment you’re in is impacted by everyone in it. If the people you are surrounded with are going through a lot, you can feel it. It puts a weight on your shoulders you do not understand. One day I walked into school and immediately felt the urge to cry and did not know why. This feeling continued for days. It was not until after I expressed the way I felt to my friend that I realized that the feeling I was going through was not mine, but of the students and staff around me. This can happen to anyone. If you walk into an event, building, school, house and immediately feel heavy, sad, wanting to leave, etc; listen to yourself and ask “Why am I feeling this?” “What around me is causing this emotion, and how can I change that?”

Being able to analyze your emotions and having someone to talk to and seek help with is important. Your environment says a lot about you. Your friend circle says a lot about you. Do not let other people’s atmosphere dictate your mood.