4 Things to Know About the Science of Gratitude

f there is one thing I wish for you in this new year, a single change I encourage you to make, it’s to make gratitude a daily habit. Developing a gratitude practice makes you feel better—and it also makes you do better, in your business and in the rest of your life.

What’s more, gratitude has a way of spreading, and cultivating a whole other set of productive and profitable behaviors and attitudes. Cicero described gratitude as “not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.” As owners and leaders, when we lead with gratitude, we spark engagement, commitment, motivation, energy, innovation, and success not only in ourselves, but in our employees.

What is gratitude? A sense of appreciation for what is meaningful, valuable, and life-affirming to you. Gratitude takes many forms, as an emotion, an outlook, an action—and a habit. It’s all too easy to think about gratitude as a just a fuzzy, feel-good concept. But the benefits of gratitude in the workplace are measurable. Scientists are studying the impact of gratitude, with some pretty compelling results.

Gratitude boosts productivity.

Attention, alertness and focus, problem solving and decision making, energy and enthusiasm: studies show gratitude increases them all. We think more clearly, make stronger decisions, and have more motivation when we work from a grateful mindset. Gratitude and the positive outlook it stimulates increase dopamine and serotonin, neurotransmitters that improve memory and increase our ability to learn. Recent scientific research looked at the role of happiness—a by-product of gratitude—and found that people with a positive mindset were 12 percent more productive. The same study found less happiness is linked to lower rates of productivity.

Gratitude stimulates creativity

Think for a minute about the negative mindset that creeps up on so many of us, without our even realizing it. That mindset seeks to avoid harm and failure, rather than to take growth-producing risks. There’s nothing enterprising about it. A positive mindset—the kind that stems from gratitude—is just the opposite. It’s outward facing, interested in the world, curious. It embraces change. Research shows positive mood and outlook can boost creativity and innovative thinking. In a study of physicians, scientists found positive mindset improved creative problem solving and increased physicians’ satisfaction with their practices

Gratitude fosters relationships

Gratitude is intrinsically social. Feeling grateful is about being attentive to and appreciative of the good things—and people—in the world around you.  Leading with gratitude helps foster and deepen relationships with clients, with colleagues, and with your staff. Those stronger bonds can translate into everything from greater patient satisfaction, to more referrals, to higher employee retention. Use gratitude to encourage a sense of pride among your team, and team members are more likely to work harder and become leaders, research shows.

Gratitude predicts success

If there’s one thing you take away from this article, let it be this: gratitude isn’t the result of success achieved—it’s the catalyst for the success you’re seeking. An exciting, and growing, body of research shows that gratitude and happiness aren’t just by-products of success—they are predictors of success, both professional and personal. In the major areas of life and work—including relationships, health, work performance, and income—a positive outlook fuels achievement. The idea of waiting for success to make you happy misses the absolutely critical role that gratitude can play in achieving that success.

How do you begin to practice gratitude?

Pay attention. Launching a gratitude practice takes nothing more than your attentiveness to the positive moments unfolding throughout your day. Work at being alert to all the effort, dedication, and accomplishment that’s happening right now in your practice.

Write ‘em down. Start a practice of jotting down on a daily basis the things you’re grateful for. You’ll likely be surprised at how long your gratitude list is. Even on your toughest day, commit to finding at least a couple of grateful moments.

Share your appreciation. This is where gratitude starts to pay off exponentially. Share your gratitude with your team. Do so simply, genuinely, and regularly—and watch as their energy, dedication, and commitment to your mission soar.

Schedule a free strategy call and let’s have a conversation about what you want to achieve in your practice in the new year.