We often think about giving thanks this time of year, but did you know numerous studies have shown that being grateful has many benefits? Now is a great time to develop an attitude of gratitude. Here are five ways expressing gratitude can benefit you.
- It improves your well-being. Showing gratitude can lower anxiety, improve sleep, decrease depression and elevate your mood. Being grateful also has been tied to a more robust immune system and lower blood pressure. On the psychological side, gratitude makes a person more awake, alert, and alive, helping them experience joy and pleasure, more happiness and optimism. Socially, grateful people are more compassionate, generous, helpful, and more outgoing, and forgiving. One way to generate gratitude and good vibes is by volunteering.
- It creates a better work environment. Being grateful for your colleagues and their work can be a powerful way to influence positive change. Having a grateful attitude also encourages your co-workers to be more creative, more fun to work with, and more enthusiastic about the work. A 2016 University of Pennsylvania study found that grateful leaders could motivate their employees to be more successful.
- It helps you be better. Expressing sincere thanks often enables you to gain mentors or proteges, as people are naturally drawn to those who are grateful. Because practicing gratitude translates into positivity, it can also help you realize your work goals. It also increases productivity. Since a thankful heart lowers stress, you can have more mental energy to be productive and make better decisions at work and home.
- It connects people. A grateful attitude also leads to stronger connections with patients and co-workers and builds relationships with colleagues, patients, friends, and family. You can practice gratitude by thanking those you encounter throughout your day. You can express gratitude in many ways, such as through handwritten notes, emails, face-to-face dialogue, voicemail messages, or texts. For example, the LeaderStat team expressed its gratefulness in a blog post.
- It celebrates the present. A gratitude attitude helps anchor you in the here and now. Research has shown that positive emotions don’t last after the novelty wears off. Gratitude helps us appreciate the value of things, making us less likely to take them for granted or forget about them. Gratitude also helps us be more present in our daily lives, as it can magnify the pleasures we receive from life.
So take time to be grateful for your work, home, family, and friends. You’ll feel better and help make your corner of the world a little brighter.