Have you ever wondered whether reading bad news in the morning can have a negative impact on your productivity? According to a new study by Shawn Achor and Michelle Gielan in the latest Harvard Business Review, “consuming negative news CAN make you less effective at work.”

In their study, participants who were exposed to negative news stories in the morning were much more likely to report their day as unhappy…up to six to eight hours later, compared to people who had been exposed to positive stories. This was an excellent partner to a study conducted in 2002 that showed that optimistic sales people outsold their counterparts by 37%.

So what can you do to keep the negative stories from seeping into your consciousness in the morning (or even later in the day)? They suggest turning off news alerts (negative by nature), starting your car ride with no news for at least five minutes (then turning off “angry” radio), and then changing the ratio of positive to negative stories.

I listen to a “positive encouraging” radio network (KLOVE) in the mornings, where their stated purpose is to share positive stories. What can you do…and what can you do for your workplace to help others? I have also read several sites that offer positive, uplifting news stories. Yes, it sounds contrived. But it works. Another option would be to share one positive story every morning that will give most people in your workplace a small smile and a bit of happiness to start their day.