Unlocking Wellbeing and Productivity: The Transformative Power of Gratitude
Dr Gemma Leigh Roberts
Chartered Psychologist (Wellbeing, Resilience, Mindset) // Podcast Host: Psychology in the Wild // 6M Learners Worldwide (@LinkedIn Learning)
When we take time to appreciate what we have, rather than fixating on what we lack, we open the door to increased happiness, reduced stress, and a more profound sense of satisfaction. The beauty of taking small moments to be grateful lies in the simplicity of the process and the effect it can have on your mental health.
Gratitude is a positive emotion marked by thankfulness and appreciation, leading to feelings of kindness and generosity towards something or someone in your life.
As I share in my latest Thriving Weekly coaching video , gratitude is like a muscle in your emotional toolkit: the more you use it, the stronger it becomes, which, over time, can improve your mental health.
When you focus on the good in your life, you're essentially training your brain to spot positivity, which can elevate your mood and reduce stress levels.
Wellbeing, happiness and productivity
Research supports the benefits of gratitude on wellbeing. A study by Emmons and McCullough (2003) found that people who kept gratitude journals every week exercised more regularly, reported fewer physical symptoms, felt better about their lives, and were more optimistic about the upcoming week compared to those who recorded hassles or neutral life events.?
Another significant finding from the field comes from the work of Seligman et al. (2005), who discovered that writing and personally delivering a letter of gratitude to someone for their kindness significantly increased happiness scores.
Expressions of gratitude have also been found to influence prosocial behaviour in the workplace, suggesting that even small expressions of gratitude by managers can significantly impact employee motivation and team productivity (Grant and Gino , 2010).
Creating gratitude habits
Here are simple ways you can create a gratitude habit:
→ Consider three things you could be grateful for - such as little wins like the sun shining on your daily walk or more considerable accomplishments like getting ahead on a big project.
→ Start practising gratitude at the same time every day. For example, when brushing your teeth or over dinner with your family. This consistency can make habits feel like second nature.
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→ Finally, track your progress to reinforce the habit. If you need help with this, download my free coaching guide to help you make gratitude a habit.
Gratitude and living a 'good life'
If you’re interested in learning how gratitude can help you to live a ‘good life’ as stoics would call it, check out my Mindset Matters podcast interview with stoicism expert and author of The Stoic Challenge William B. Irvine. The episode is a brilliant insight into how we can learn from ancient Greek stoics to live a meaningful life today.
Your habits
How have you used gratitude in your life? If you're happy to share, I'd love to read about your experiences with practising gratitude in the comments.
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Transforming Business Results Through Brand, People Strategies - CX & EX ? Empowering Future Workplaces Through Purpose & Belonging ? Corporate Trainer - Certified NLP + EI ? Leadership Development Programs & Coaching
8 个月It's easy to get caught up in the 'what's next' and forget to appreciate what you already have. Love this, Dr Gemma ?? Much needed read!
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8 个月what i understand productivity increases if you value everyone on product chain.it promotes efficiency due to motivation of each on the field
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8 个月Thank you so much for sharing very helpful information. I now feel more empowered to speak with team members about positivity and build healthy bonds genuinely.
LinkedIn Top Voice in Innovation & Discovery. 70,000 online students. Advising executives and teams through org change and growth.
8 个月I've been exploring what it means to cultivate gratitude at work. I've certainly built stronger bonds with mentors, bosses and team members when we demonstrate genuine gratitude for each another and the often selfless efforts to be supportive. I wonder, is it possible to be "overly grateful" for our jobs and to our employers?