Reading headlines today, it jumps out that many people are experiencing greater anxiety and exhaustion. Many people are considering or have left jobs that were causing them stress or where they did not feel appreciated. The pandemic has seemed to have an effect of worsening our physical and/or psychological health and weakening our social connections. Thinking about finding a new job, starting a new diet or exercise routine can feel overwhelming. There is one practice that doesn’t require any equipment that when done regularly has been found in studies to improve immune systems, increase optimism and happiness and make people feel less lonely and isolated. The practice I’m referring to is gratitude.
Science Behind Gratitude
In his work and research Dr. Robert Emmons has found there are improvements like those listed above in people that have a regular gratitude practice.
In a study at Northeastern University, researchers found that participants that thought about something they are grateful for had more financial willpower and were able to delay a short term payout for a longer term higher payout more easily and often than those that thought about something that makes them happy or those that had a neutral thought.
In yet another study, researchers found that when participating in a giving program both the recipients and the givers experienced more connection and the givers had an increased reputation with recipients even after the program had concluded.
There are many more studies that echo these results, gratitude can have an impact on your health, reputation and bottom line.
Creating a Gratitude Practice
I encourage you to start a gratitude practice on your own or start one with your co-workers. Employees who receive recognition (being thanked and acknowledged for work) are less likely to report being stressed and less likely to seek other opportunities for employment.
How do I start a gratitude practice? Here are a few ideas:
- Start a journal – it can be as formal or informal as you would like. Make it work for you. Maybe it is a paragraph or two of reflection on your day. Maybe it is a bulleted list Maybe you don’t repeat things for a certain number of days, but maybe repetition of ideas is ok. It’s up to you. Do something you are able to stick to daily.
- Do a nightly reflection (Or a morning reflection) – think about things that you are truly grateful for. List them in your mind and visualize them. Find a time of day that works and repeat this practice each day.
- Write thank you notes – when you are grateful for someone or something they have done, write them a thank you note. One of my most treasured items is a note full of thank you messages I got from co-workers appreciating me for the contribution I made to the team. I am not alone, I have heard many stories from people that even simple notes that were written with sincerity and specificity are treasured items.
- Shift your mindset to seek moments to be grateful for – challenge yourself to be on the look out for something to add to you list, journal or daily reflection.
My suggestion here is not to ignore the reality of your situation or try to be positive in a toxic way, not addressing things that need to be addressed. Rather, if you can find things that you are truly grateful for each day and spend some time reflecting on them, science says you will be healthier and happier…. And who doesn’t want that?
If you are struggling with how to incorporate a gratitude practice at work, Contact me at nikki@ridgelinecoaching.com.
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