Human beings have a bias toward negativity. Thanks to a mental process called “loss aversion,” pain affects us more strongly than pleasure. We pay more attention to painful experiences because we feel them more acutely.
It’s no wonder why Americans love to complain about work. We could have the best job in the world, but we’d still get hung up on the minor annoyances of the job.
You might be one of the complainers. Maybe a colleague is constantly interrupting your work, your boss is a micromanager, or one of your employees is constantly late. It’s easier to remember those moments over the good ones that may have occurred throughout the day.
It’s okay to vent once in a while. Sometimes you just need to let it out. But constantly complaining to your colleagues and loved ones can hurt your relationships, mental health, and reputation. What starts out as funny or a bonding between peers can quickly turn to negative energy that drags everyone down. You most of all. Focus on the negative too much and that's all you see.
It’s worth learning to express gratitude at work. If you’re an employee, your job probably isn’t perfect. And if you’re a leader, you can probably say the same about your team. But even so, there’s always something to appreciate about your current situation — you just have to pay attention. Looking at the world through the lens of gratitude has a proven impact.
Unlock the benefits of gratitude
Expressing gratitude doesn’t mean ignoring the bad parts of your job. A toxic work environment is a serious cause for concern. And it’s normal to have a rough day. But if you only focus on the negatives, you’re only getting half the story.
Gratitude is about seeing the full picture. Being thankful will help you return to the kindness of others and keep a positive mindset. It’s about taking the good with the bad to accurately assess your current situation.
It’s also about thanking others for their contributions to your life. Showing appreciation to your team and your colleagues, despite their occasional shortcomings, has many positive effects on health and well-being.
That’s the power of gratitude at work. It can:
- Lower your stress levels: When you express gratitude, you and the recipient of your thankfulness will experience less of the stress hormone, cortisol, in your body.
- Improve your sleep: Less cortisol also means improved sleep since your body won’t be in fight or flight while you’re in bed.
- Boost employee engagement and retention: A study by the American Psychological Association (APA) found that employees who feel valued are more likely to report better mental and physical health and higher levels of engagement, job satisfaction, and motivation.
- Improve mental health. Positive thinking can help break negative thought patterns driving anxiety and depression.
- Promote a more positive outlook. Gratitude is the cornerstone of positive thinking, which has its own slew of benefits. It can sharpen your coping skills, increase your adaptability, and even lower your blood pressure.
- Build strong workplace relationships. Gratitude inspires authenticity among workers, leading to emotional vulnerability and closer relationships.
- Decrease pain levels. Gratitude’s ability to reduce stress also reduces your perception of pain.
Ways to cultivate gratitude
Gratitude is a way for people to appreciate what they have instead of always reaching for something new in the hopes it will make them happier or thinking they can't feel satisfied until every physical and material need is met. Gratitude helps people refocus on what they have instead of what they lack. And, although it may feel contrived at first, this mental state grows stronger with use and practice.
Here are some ways to cultivate gratitude on a regular basis.
Write a thank-you note. You can make yourself happier and nurture your relationship with another person by writing a thank-you letter or email expressing your enjoyment and appreciation of that person's impact on your life. Send it, or better yet, deliver and read it in person if possible. Make a habit of sending at least one gratitude letter a month. Once in a while, write one to yourself.
Thank someone mentally. No time to write? It may help just to think about someone who has done something nice for you, and mentally thank the individual.
Keep a gratitude journal. Make it a habit to write down or share with a loved one thoughts about the gifts you've received each day.
Count your blessings. Pick a time every week to sit down and write about your blessings — reflecting on what went right or what you are grateful for. Sometimes it helps to pick a number — such as three to five things — that you will identify each week. As you write, be specific and think about the sensations you felt when something good happened to you.
Pray. People who are religious can use prayer to cultivate gratitude.
Meditate. Mindfulness meditation involves focusing on the present moment without judgment. Although people often focus on a word or phrase (such as "peace"), it is also possible to focus on what you're grateful for (the warmth of the sun, a pleasant sound, etc.).
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