You think I am overpromising.
I probably underpromise.
Research around emotions is compiling and it’s more robust and converging by day. Many findings show that a handful of negative emotions cause most of our daily troubles. In a similar fashion, a few positive emotions cause our best experiences and give the best tools for day-to-day stresses.
The one thing you can do to increase happiness, resilience, and even earn more is Cultivating Your Gratitude.
Few fun facts:
- People who write in a gratitude journal at least 3 times per week report a 25% increase in their happiness, also improving self-worth. They even showed a reduction in symptoms of physical illness, like a headache.
Saying thank you was only common for people who earned more than $150,000. This was despite 93% saying that grateful bosses are more likely to succeed.
Cultivating gratitude is linked with higher resilience. This ranges from stressful expresses at work to dealing with debilitating illnesses.
We can only guess why gratitude is so powerful. One theory is that gratitude works to amplify your good experiences, increasing your ability to cope.
So how can this help you to be more resilient at work?
- Reshape your thinking from a stressful situation to a challenge that is an exciting one. The workplace is a petri dish of an unknown-uncertain-always changing environment. Every person, event, and the situation can feel different and might need different techniques. When facing a stressful situation, turn it around – what good does this situation bring? What past events that were hard, but prepared you for this situation
Say more thank you to fuel your likeability and increase helpful behavior in your team. Some have aversion to gratitude, fearing it can be used against them. The thing is, you are much more likely to win by saying more thank you than lose.
Have a gratitude journal for work or make notes about work-related experiences you are grateful for at home. Do it the way it’s easiest, most natural to you as this is the best way to get the most benefits. If it becomes a chore, the studies show decreased benefits. Go ahead and amplify your best experiences!
