The Gift of Gratitude

Gratitude & Appreciation

Here are a couple excerpts from our book, "Zenployee" that discusses the importance of gratitude and appreciation.

"Your thoughts are not innocent nothings that have no effect on your life. This is important because depending on who you want to be, you have to get your thoughts to work for you. Hence, the whole reason for developing a Zen mindset. Correcting your thoughts so that you can increase the likeliness that you will create more of what you are thinking in your life. This is your reason for incorporating gratitude and appreciation into your life as much as possible. According to the law of attraction, by doing so, you will find more in your life to be thankful and appreciative for."

"Gratitude and appreciation is about more than just be grateful for the things in your life and for opportunities to grow and learn. It's also about appreciating the beauty of it all and being able to be here to observe it. There’s a difference between someone who goes to work because they are afraid of what would happen if they didn't have a job or they are set out to prove someone wrong and someone who goes to work because they see every day as a beautiful gift with untapped potential which makes them grateful for the time they have to develop and work on honing their work skills and aligning themselves with their ideal self."

Gratitude and Your Brain?

The impact that gratitude has on our lives starts in the brain. A study conducted at the University of California used magnetic resonance imaging to measure the impact of gratitude on participants' brains when they received gifts.?They noticed that activity increased in the areas of the brain related to empathy, reward, value and social and moral cognition. There was also more activity in the hypothalamus, which affects our metabolism, emotional responses and regulates our hormone system. Feelings of gratitude also promoted the release of Dopamine in the brain. This "feel-good" substance has an immense impact on health and wellbeing. The conclusion was that feeling gratitude promotes a positive, supportive attitude and kindness towards others. Gratitude also promotes overall better health, higher resistance to disease and better sleep.

Can Gratitude Rewire Your Brain?

Traditionally, scientists believed that the brain did not have the capacity to change and that we had no control over its functions. Today, it is understood that theory was not correct.?Neuroscience has found that our amazing brains have the capacity to rewire themselves and form new neural connections or pathways, which in turn can change habits and behaviors and even improve our physical health.?Practicing gratitude is one of the most powerful ways to rewire our brains to increase optimism, positive thinking, balance moods and improve our overall wellbeing.?

How Does the Brain Rewires Itself?

1. When the emotion of gratitude is experienced on a regular basis, the??positive emotions that accompany it are registered by the brain
2. The brain begins to understand that gratitude and its associated responses are good for you because of the way your body and mind responds
3. The brain begins to form a new neural pathway that enforces those feelings and behaviors
4. The more you experience gratitude, the faster that new pathway will be formed.
5. Over time, the new pathway becomes deeply embedded in the brain and practicing gratitude l becomes a permanent habit.
6. Your brain will automatically trigger you to feel gratitude on a consistent basis because it registers that it's good for you.

Where to Start

Sometimes, it’s hard to be grateful when life is a struggle and we are constantly bombarded with crises and stressful situations.?But the truth is, you can always find something to be grateful for even in times of extreme hardship.?Here are some simple steps on how to start practicing gratitude and rewiring your brain:

• Keep a gratitude journal. Take a few minutes at the end of each day to record three things that you are grateful for.?It could be anything, such as a nice dinner you had, a pleasant conversation with a friend or a compliment you received.
• Express your love and appreciation to your loved ones on a daily basis.?They are the true blessing that so many of us take for granted. Tell your children that you are proud of them.?
• Thank your spouse for being supportive. Thank your parents for all they did for you.?Not only will this increase your awareness of how important these people are to you but it will also strengthen family bonds
• Be grateful for yourself! When you look in the mirror each morning, take the time to appreciate your good health and that you are alive to enjoy a new day.

The practice of gratitude can be tremendously transformative.?Through the power of gratitude can rewire your brain to improve your physical and mental health, and create a continuous cycle of wellbeing and happiness.?In addition, your positive outlook will extend and affect those around you, bringing you even more contentment and happiness. What's really amazing is that you can actually put this process into motion by helping your brain rewire itself. All it takes is the intention to mindfully practice gratitude consistently until it becomes a lifelong habit!

How Gratitude Can Help You Advance in Your Career

Many people feel that they're stuck in boring, humdrum jobs that are just not going anywhere. On the other end of the spectrum, there are those who love their careers and can't imagine doing anything else.?In the middle are those who are lukewarm and simply see their careers as a way to earn a steady living.

Wherever you currently stand career-wise, practicing gratitude in the workplace has been shown to have many benefits that can change your perspective, help you be more productive and efficient and ultimately, get ahead in your career. Practicing gratitude on a daily basis in your workplace can help you achieve the following:??

• Gratitude helps you find value in your job. It's a no-brainer that those who find meaning and purpose in their jobs will be more driven to succeed.?It doesn't matter what you do.?
• Simply being grateful that you have a job at all when so many others don't is a powerful first step.?It can help you find the positives in the most mundane tasks and over time, will even make you passionate at mastering them.
• Gratitude for your job creates a positive outlook that will l?motivate you to excel at what you do and take pride in your contribution.
• Gratitude makes you a better manager. When you are grateful and appreciative of the people you supervise, you become a more effective manager.?
• Gratitude in the workplace will make you less critical and overly-demanding, which only creates a more stressful work environment.?Instead, gratitude will make you more encouraging and supportive of the people You manage. You gain the trust and respect of your team and coworkers, which makes for a more efficient,???productive,?collaborative and healthier work environment.?
• Gratitude promotes patience and better decision-making. Grateful people are naturally more patient and less likely to pursue instant gratification. Being grateful for what you already have makes you less likely to be hasty for more.?This is an invaluable mindset to have when it comes to making decisions in the workplace. Even under the most extreme pressure, you will be able to see the bigger picture and make decisions (especially financial ones) based on long-term goals that achieve lasting and more effective results.?
• Gratitude reduces work-related stress. Gratitude breeds patience and in turn, patience breeds acceptance.?This makes you better prepared?to handle sudden changes and workplace crises that happen. We've all experienced those chaotic days and know how draining and frustrating they can be. Gratitude equips you with the mental strength to work calmly under pressure and avoid burn0out and stress, which really takes a toll on your mental and physical wellbeing.?

Imagine a workplace where everybody practices gratitude.?

Managers would become respected mentors and role models rather than hated slave-drivers. Backbiting, poor performance and stress would become a thing of the past. Turnover would decrease dramatically because people would feel valued and respected – and the list goes on. The good news is that gratitude is contagious. So, start with yourself and become a catalyst for change in your workplace. You will be amazed at the results. Practicing gratitude and learning to appreciate the things and people around you can change your life on many levels.?But in the workplace especially, it can open the doors to advancement, new opportunities and create a wonderful working environment for you and others.