Why and How to Practice Gratitude at Work

After all that's happened over the last few years, many of us are thankful to have a job - any job. However, we might not always feel grateful, especially if we have one of those bosses who likes to remind us how thankful we should be. (Note to those managers: That is not motivational - that is professional blackmail - but that's a post for another day.)

Even if you're not feeling it, you can still practice gratitude. We all know it's the decent thing to do, but this New York Times article cites recent studies that link gratitude to better health, better sleep, less anxiety, and less aggressive behavior. People who practice gratitude are less likely to get bent over criticism, less likely to lash out when provoked and more likely to work out.(Who knew?)

Imagine if you had an office full of fit, well-rested, easy-going and thoughtful people! OK, I know I've slipped into fantasy land, but it could happen, right? It could start with you and me. Acts of thoughtfulness and appreciation can be contagious. So I've come up three simple ways to practice gratitude at work.

Be on time.
It is so simple and so basic. Grateful people don't steal and they don't disrespect others. Being chronically late for your shift, for meetings, for lunch dates is the same as stealing time. Time is our one common finite resource, and when you squander time that was allotted to you either in wages or the time of a fellow human being, you show sloppy disrespect of their limited resources. You are robbing them of the one thing they can never get back.

Say "please".
Good manners go a long way in making you more delightful to work with. I once had a report who was in the habit of asking for things in this format: "I'm going to need you to _____."  Never mind that it was inappropriate for him to be directing my work since he reported to me, it demonstrated an offhandedness that indicated how little he thought of me. I don't mean disliked me, but literally didn't regard me as worthy of consideration at all. Regardless of what link you are in the chain of command, posing your request (or directives) with a "please, will you___" has a more thoughtful and cooperative feel, don't you think?

Say "thank you".
Of course you should always say thank you when someone does something for you or gives you something, but how about making it a point to say "thank you" to someone everyday? Actively look for ways to show gratitude for the many things we take for granted in our day. Thank the person that made the coffee. Thank the person that keeps the supply closet stocked. Thank the person that promptly responded to your email. Leave a note for the night-time cleaning crew thanking them for keeping the office clean.

Gratitude is the acknowledgement our dependence - on one another, on a higher power, on circumstance, luck or fate. Whatever you believe in, you are not in this alone. Practicing gratitude makes you nicer to be around, and probably makes you happier and healthier to boot. I can't see a downside, can you?