Did you know that feeling grateful boosts enthusiasm, determination, optimism, and overall energy? It also reduces stress and makes us more helpful toward others. So why not make gratitude part of our daily work life and create just a little bit better environment for ourselves and our colleagues?
Gratitude is one of the most beautiful emotions we can experience. In fact, it’s a feeling that strongly contributes to our overall happiness.
And yes, gratitude belongs in the workplace too – here’s why it matters:
- it increases enthusiasm, determination, optimism, and energy
- it helps us achieve our goals
- it reduces stress
- it makes us more helpful and supportive of others
- it strengthens commitment and performance
- it improves our social relationships.
Gratitude is also rare in the best possible way – it elevates both our sense of self-worth and capability and our sense of humility at the same time.
So shouldn’t we all tap into gratitude at work and inspire it in others too? Here are a few tips to get you started.
How to awaken your own sense of gratitude?
Gratitude naturally arises when we feel that we’ve received or possess something that isn’t guaranteed.
It draws its strength from recognizing that things could easily be different. It’s not a given that we’re healthy, that we have this job, or that we get to work alongside these colleagues.
Here are a few simple ways to nurture gratitude in your daily routine:
- Reflect at the end of the day on three things you’re grateful for. They don’t need to be big – a nice conversation with a colleague or a task well done is enough.
- Look at everyday moments through the lens of gratitude.
When was the last time you felt grateful during your workday? What valuable things do your workplace or colleagues bring into your life? Could there be something special in the things you usually take for granted?
Notice the beauty of imperfection.
Gratitude doesn’t require perfection. Small successes, moments of progress, and even routine tasks can become sources of gratitude when you recognize their value.
Power thank you: How to spark gratitude in others?
Here’s a (perhaps surprising) truth: you can spark gratitude in others simply by thanking them.
But not all thank-yous are created equal.
A formal thank you doesn’t require any genuine feeling behind it, and it usually doesn’t evoke much emotion in the person receiving it. Still, it’s perfectly fine in many everyday situations where basic courtesy is enough.
A sincere thank you, on the other hand, comes from genuinely feeling gratitude. It shows up in your voice and body language – maybe you use a warmer tone, make eye contact, or add a few extra words. A sincere thank you tends to awaken a feeling of gratitude in the recipient as well. They feel appreciated for their effort.
Both formal and sincere thank-yous have their place. But if you really want to make an impact, go for the Power thank you.
The power thank you has three simple steps:
- First, describe how the other person put effort into something.
- Then explain how their help or contribution made your life – or your team’s life – easier or better.
- Finally, offer your sincere thank you.
A Power thank you shines a light on something the other person may not even have noticed themselves. It shows that you don’t take their contribution for granted – you recognize that things could have gone differently.
The Power thank you speaks directly to all seven core psychological needs. It shows that you:
- understand the other person
- are interested in them
- value their contribution
- treat them fairly
- strengthen their sense of control and progress by acknowledging how capable they are and what they’ve accomplished.
And lastly, you reinforce the meaning of their actions by sharing how much it has helped or benefited others.
Master gratitude – and other powerful emotions at work
Studies show that developing emotional skills improves well-being and increases the sense of meaning we experience in our work.
In Emergy® IMPACT training, you’ll learn to lead yourself and interact with others using emotional intelligence.
In Emergy® WORKPLACE trainings, teams learn to better understand one another and take emotions into account in daily collaboration.
