As the holiday season approaches, many people are taking time to reflect and give thanks. Practicing and showing gratitude has shown to have many benefits, including boosting your immune system, helping with sleep and benefiting mental health. 

While it may not seem like it, the workplace is one of the most important places to show appreciation and thankfulness. Practicing gratitude at work can lead to increased productivity, employee satisfaction rates, and empathy towards coworkers. It’s also easy! Start by celebrating the small wins, saying thank you and keeping a gratitude journal. 

Celebrate the small wins. 

It sounds simple, but celebrating small wins at work is a great way to practice gratitude. According to Inc., celebrating small wins increases productivity by activating the reward portion of the brain. This leads to feelings of pride, happiness and accomplishment. It also makes us want to press on and achieve our next goal. 

Celebrating small wins and activating the reward portion of your brain can be as easy as crossing something off your to do list. If you have a big project or assignment to work on, try breaking it down into smaller portions. As you complete each portion, celebrate the small win of getting one step closer to completing the bigger project. 

Say thank you. 

When was the last time you thanked someone at work? What about the last time someone thanked you? If you’re struggling to remember, you’re not alone. While many people show gratitude at home or out in the community, it’s often not common to do so in the workplace. As remote and hybrid work become more and more common, it’s easy to forget to recognize and appreciate your coworkers. 

Saying thank you and recognizing people for their accomplishments is an easy and effective way to practice gratitude. Simply saying, “thank you,” on a call or in an email works, but you can take this a step further by specifically citing what you’re thankful for. 

For example: 

“Thank you for sending me the report I asked for. I really appreciate you taking the time to make sure I had what I needed for this project ahead of time.” 

Keep in mind that everyone responds differently to displays of gratitude, so keep your coworkers’ preferences in mind when deciding where and how to share your thanks. Telling someone that you appreciate and value them not only makes them feel good, it also contributes to your overall happiness at work. The next time someone does something for you, let them know you’re grateful! 

Keep a gratitude journal. 

Even on difficult days, there’s always something to be grateful for. Keeping a gratitude journal can help you reflect on your day and find the good in it. You can keep a handwritten journal or a digital one. Start by taking five minutes at the end of each day to write down 3-5 things that you’re grateful for. These can be good things that happened at work, positive recognition that you may have received or anything else that went well throughout the day. Gratitude journals are also great to look back on when you’re having a particularly hard day. When you take time to focus on the good, you’ll find that there’s probably more positives than you may have originally thought!

Making small changes to practice gratitude in the workplace can have a big impact. Start by celebrating the small wins, thanking people for their work and time and writing down what you’re grateful for in a gratitude journal. These easy tips will help you reflect and be thankful for good things not only throughout the holiday season, but all year round. 

Ready to start practicing gratitude in a meaningful career? Check out our current job openings by visiting careers.medixteam.com.