Building a Habit of Gratitude
In my last post, I wrote about ways we can make marginal improvements to our work day, mostly by broadening our perspective and focusing as much as we can on the aspects of our work—or other life roles—that bring us the most purpose and fulfillment.
In closing, I asked for suggestions on other ways we can add value to our work day and was reminded by my colleague Sean (who has an awesome career-focused blog of his own) of the importance of gratitude and the dramatic effect it can have on how we feel about our work.
You don't need to look far to find an abundance of articles and research linking gratitude and positive psychology to increased fulfillment in our lives, work, and relationships. Simply put, grateful people are happy people. Just ask Brother David Steindl-Rast who delivered a great TED talk making the point that human happiness is born from gratitude.
So if we want to be happy in our work, as we do in our relationships and other life roles, how do we bring gratitude into our work day? After all, it's easy to be grateful, and indeed, happy, when things are going well for us; when we're getting rewarded with a pat on the back or a promotion; when we're given the freedom to work on the projects we're most passionate about; when we're given the time and freedom to learn and grow within our roles. But what about when we're not being rewarded for a job well done? Or when we feel restricted in the work we're doing? Or when our professional growth is not seen as a priority?
If your present situation more resembles the latter scenario, it can seem hard to feel gratitude and happiness, but it's not impossible. It does require intentionality. There's no gratitude "switch" we can turn on to instantly change our perspective, but we can start to train ourselves to see our situation differently, which can lead us to be more grateful and happier over time. You might have heard some suggestions to start this process:
Making a daily habit of keeping a journal in which you write down things you are grateful for
Thanking others for their exemplary work, service, contributions, etc.
Save simple notes, emails, or write down conversations in which you were thanked by others
There's merit to each of these strategies and the best approach might be to incorporate each over time so that gratitude becomes a regular habit in your work day. Commitment to keeping a daily gratitude journal in which you write, for example, three things in a day that you are grateful for, will make gratitude more natural over time. Thanking others not only brings you happiness in the moment, but it helps to promote a culture in which people are recognized and appreciated for their contributions. Saving notes, emails, and conversations in which you are thanked by someone can be powerful reminders of the impact we are making on days when you are struggling to see purpose in your work.
Unfortunately, our human condition disposes us to dwell on the negative all too often. Examining our habits when talking not only about our work, but our interactions with people, or places we visit, can also help us identify ways of injecting more gratitude and positivity into our day. If you've ever read or written a review on Yelp, Facebook, or another platform, you can easily recognize how we're often more inclined to offer criticism than praise. Of course, there can be good reason to leave a negative review, but we need to make sure we're balancing that critical perspective with gratitude or else the negativity will stick to us.
In my own work, I think about one of my tougher days as a teacher and how powerful it was for me to open an old email from a student or parent and be reminded that the work I was doing was making an impact. Similarly, the times I've thought to reach out to a teacher, colleague, or mentor, and thank them for the ways they've formed me, were a helpful reminder of how powerful and transformative a habit of gratitude can be. Like anything worthwhile, it takes work, but it can begin tomorrow. On your commute, as you start your day, remind yourself of the positive aspects of your work. Or if gratitude and work are a tough match at the moment, think about a relationship, a hobby, or a recent experience that you can express true gratitude for and see how that change in perspective can start the process toward happier work, happier relationships, and a happier life.
