I have recently been working as a consultant with CenterLight Health System, getting to know some of their employees and looking forward to meeting many more, learning about their wonderful organization. September 21, 2022, was international Gratitude Day, a day in which employees are recognized for the great work they do, they are recognizing each other for the fantastic colleagues they are, and are taking a moment to see the blessings in life. To celebrate, I gave a talk to CenterLight employees about the real meaning of gratitude.
What is Gratitude?
Gratitude is about focusing on what is good over what is problematic or troublesome. In a complex society, our brains can be overly attached to what is troublesome and this causes us stress, anxiety, and overwhelm.
In fact, just saying that it is okay to focus on the good may be a relief. It’s important to give ourselves permission to take a big inhale and exhale, inhaling the good around us and exhaling stress. Breath is something we take for granted and yet, everyday we can be grateful that our bodies know how to breath and operate all on their own. Our breath can bring about the relaxation response a counter to the activation that occurs when we are stressed.
A myth of gratitude is that some things are too small to appreciate. However, nothing is too small. In fact, what we appreciate appreciates. So we grow the goodness around us by appreciating it. What holds us back also is that our brains, the magnificent instruments in our heads, the powerful tools that they are, have a negativity bias, meaning that our brains have evolved to notice danger or bad over good. Today, this heightened ability to noticing the bad makes many of us unhappy and preoccupied with problems. This makes gratitude, the conscious focusing on the good and staying with it for a bit, an actual coaching exercise. Studies show that grateful people are happy people --- not the other way around. Gratitude is the pathway to more happiness in life and work.
Another way in which we hold back on gratitude is our culture of independence. In many ways, we value our self-sufficiency too highly and feel vulnerable acknowledging the true level of our interdependence. It is clear, if we stop to think about it, that we truly need each other. Acknowledging this is empowering. Our wellbeing hinges on our interconnection.
Without all of its employees, there is no CenterLight. Together, collectively the team creates an amazing organization that serves others. While this may seem ordinary, it is no small thing. I personally think it is actually extraordinary.
Practicing gratitude at work and home benefits those around us and is a closely connected in research to wellbeing. Some statistics that back this up are below.
10 Amazing Gratitude Statistics
Here are 10 amazing statistics to show you how:
70% of employees would feel better about themselves if their boss were more grateful, and 81% would work harder.*
Employees who experience more gratitude at work report fewer depressive symptoms and stress.**
95% of employees agree*** that a grateful boss is more likely to be successful.
Regular gratitude journaling has been shown to result in 5% to 15%** increases in optimism and 25% increased sleep quality.
Lack of gratitude is a major factor**** in driving job dissatisfaction, turnover, absenteeism, and burnout.
53% of employees would stay at their company longer* if they felt more appreciation from their boss.
Gratitude reduces toxic aggression, frustration, and regret even after receiving negative feedback.*****
In a study of 800 descriptive trait words, “grateful” was rated in the top 4% in terms of likeability.******
Over 90% of Americans indicated that expressing gratitude made them “extremely happy” or “somewhat happy”.******
A five-minute daily gratitude journal can increase long-term well-being by 10%.*******
The expression of gratitude benefits the giver and the receiver. When we express gratitude to another human being or for a blessing in our lives, we feel better. When we receive it we feel better also. In this way, we can see that it is an energy or fuel for more goodness in the world. It can lower our blood pressure, strengthen our relationships, protect our immune system from the damaging effects of stress. Our overall wellbeing is enhanced by the gift and the receipt of gratitude.
How can YOU express gratitude more?
Share a note of appreciation
Smile at each other
Compliment each other
Always let people know they matter to you and the workplace
Consciously note what you are grateful for each day – perhaps 1 – 3 things.
You may even start journaling what you are grateful for.
I am sure you can think of many ways to create this energy and pass it on for the benefit of yourselves and others at work and home.
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about gratitude. Here’s to you finding your center each day and appreciating others.
**Positive Psychology Benefits of Gratitude: 28+ Surprising Research Findings
***Gratitude Survey Conducted for the John Templeton Foundation
****Fast Company The Science of Gratitude and Why it's Important to Your Worplace
*****Psychology Today 7 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Gratitude
******Positive Psychology What is Gratitude and Why is it so Important?
*******Happier Human Benefits of Gratitude
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Last updated October 4, 2022
About the Writer
Kimberly Perone is a success coach and mindfulness trainer with the Center for Clarity, Compassion and Contentment.