We’ve talk a lot about gratitude and its importance. Plus, you’ve probably seen our social media posts encouraging you to spend some time at the end of the week practicing gratitude. This week, we want to help you start a gratitude practice in honor of Thanksgiving.
Why Practice Gratitude?
We’ve spent some time defining different types of gratitude at work previously. But, as a quick reminder, gratitude at work is a person’s orientation to noticing and appreciating the positive in one’s work life. It’s important to note that you need both components of gratitude. You first need to notice the good and then appreciate it. Some people are better at this than others but everyone can get better (hint: it takes practice!)
But, why should you even bother practicing gratitude? Can you guess? As with everything we deem important, it impacts well-being. Having gratitude can help you build stronger relationships and feel more excited and happier at work. It can also make you more likely to want to help your coworkers, which can help create a positive work culture! Overall, the research points to the importance of gratitude in well-being, both at work and in life.
Try This Prompt!
So, how can you build a gratitude practice? First, review the 4 steps that cause gratitude. The first step is crucial. What are you grateful for? It can take some effort to recognize what you have to be thankful for. Think about all the small things in your day at work. Did someone bring you a coffee when you seemed tired? While you were at lunch, did your coworker handle an urgent client question? Did your client email your boss praising your presentation?
It takes practice and time to start noticing the little good things in your life, especially at work. So, to get started, we recommend you start writing in a gratitude journal, typing up notes on your phone, or just jotting down your thoughts on a notepad at your desk. We’ve included a research-based prompt to help you figure out what to write!
Try to think about the many things in your job/work, both large and small, for which you are grateful. These might include supportive work relationships, sacrifices or contributions that others have made for you, advantages or opportunities at work, or thankfulness for the opportunity to have your job in general. Try to think of new ideas that you have not focused on in the past.
Think back over the past week and write down up to five things in your life that you are grateful or thankful for.
Try using this prompt once a week to get started. We like to think about what we are grateful for on Fridays as we reflect on our work week. If you are feeling ambitious, up your gratitude time to 2-3 times per week as you get in the groove!
On Thanksgiving, our new podcast episode launches with us sharing what we are thankful for. Listen in if you want some ideas or examples! And, we’d love to hear from you! Do you practice gratitude? How did this exercise go for you? What are you thankful for?
