How to Have Workplace Gratitude
Creating a habit of gratitude is a difficult skill to learn, yet a fulfilling one. When you practice workplace gratitude, the discipline can help you to see everything in a more positive light and reevaluate your view of the world. Here are five simple, attainable ways you can learn to practice gratitude in the workplace.
- Show gratitude for your work
- Practice gratitude towards your coworkers
- Practice gratitude towards your boss
- Develop a mindset of appreciation
- Lead by example
Developing your gratitude muscle can take time and effort, but the results are well worth it in the long run. The rest of this article will walk you through these five points so that you can be well on your way to exercising gratitude in the workspace.
Show Gratitude for Your Work
Work can be a pain sometimes. You wake up in the morning with a pounding head and no will to go to work. Believe it or not, your attitude towards work itself can make a big difference in how you start to see the world, especially in the workspace.
Be grateful for your work, regardless of how menial or stressful it may seem at times. The honest truth is that as humans, we need purpose in our lives―something to work towards.
Despite how frustrating the work environment can be sometimes, working is a pretty big part of what makes us human. Contrary to what pop culture would have us believe, a life of luxury will only leave you dissatisfied.
Work hard with the knowledge that you’ve earned your leisure time! You’ll soon start to appreciate the value of the workspace in creating a healthy work/life balance all the more.
Practice Gratitude Towards Your Coworkers
Actively look for ways to build up and appreciate your coworkers. Let them know how much their efforts help you out on a daily basis. Give them due credit for all the hard work they do.
Operate with the understanding that most people are trying to get through the day in one piece. Even with difficult coworkers, their nagging or annoying behavior can start to seem more trivial. Recognize people who help you and express gratitude to them, both internally and vocally.
Practice Gratitude Towards Your Boss
Appreciating your boss can be challenging. This can be especially if you have a strict one who doesn’t seem interested in developing a business relationship with you.
Bosses have to work hard to keep the company afloat. Although they don’t show it well oftentimes, their constant oversight is all part of an effort to keep the company running smoothly. Practice gratitude when your boss shows favor and demonstrate grace when they’re in a bad mood.
If you have a hard time seeing the reason behind their mindset, keep in mind that they are people, too. Remember they have their own aspirations and goals in life.
Develop a Mindset of Appreciation
On the road to learning gratitude, you’ll need to develop a mindset of appreciation. This will help to start changing how you perceive things in the workplace. If everything that pops up at work is a bad thing in your eyes, then it might be time to start reevaluating how you look at the world.
Are you recognizing the good things in your life, the people who bring it value? Do you take a moment to be grateful for the opportunities you have or how conflict can help you grow as a person?
If not, then the workplace is a brilliant spot to start exercising a mindset of appreciation. Often there you have to strive to find things to be appreciative of.
Lead by Example in Having Workplace Gratitude
If you know someone who expresses gratitude well, whether in exuberance or quiet appreciation, then you know how important actively showing your gratitude to the world can be.
Leading by example demonstrates to others that you are capable and willing to change your worldview for the better. It’s not willful ignorance of reality or naivete. Leading by example is one way of reducing negativity in the workspace.
If you’ve worked in a corporate space, then you’ll know just how much negativity is passed around like currency. Being that someone that others are grateful for, someone who brightens up their day, in turn gives them someone to be grateful for.
Then, they have a foundational reason to start practicing gratitude in the workplace. If you’re an employer, you can instill a gratitude-rich environment in your workspace by recognizing employees who bring value to the company in front of their peers.
It’s a simple way of showing appreciation, but the gesture goes farther than you know.