BEYOND THANKSGIVING DAY: REASONS TO CONTINUE GIVING THANKS

The Holiday of Thanksgiving is often used as a reminder to appreciate the many blessings bestowed on us. But feeling grateful is important year-round, even after the last scraps of leftover turkey disappears. Finding reasons to be grateful are even crucial in the workplace. Working takes effort, attention, and sometimes results in stress - like the stress of trying to buy that last minute pumpkin pie and making sure the turkey is cooked just right! It may be challenging to feel grateful at work where we are constantly comparing our work performance, relationships, benefits and our efforts to others. Having an attitude of gratitude requires looking deeper into your work activities to recognize experiences that will help you in the long run and seeing the people that make your day feel worthwhile.

Having an attitude of gratitude in your life, particularly at work, can make a huge impact. Here’s why:

You will recognize goodness in yourself. Take time to notice what attributes of yourself allow you to succeed. These are reasons for having pride and gratefulness!

You will recognize goodness in others. Don’t let your coworkers' kind actions and efforts go unnoticed. Taking time to appreciate and expressing your appreciation can allow for team bonding and relationship growth.

You will feel inspired to give back. By knowing what you appreciate and focusing on the good, you may find motivation to do your job well and even prompt additional giving to help your team succeed.

Others will probably notice. People notice when their coworkers are motivated, positive and ready to give and receive assistance. Hint: People want colleagues with these qualities on their team.

Others may follow your lead. This may allow for an open and generous culture, one that is enjoyable to work in.

You will increase your feelings of self-worth. Having a positive attitude, showing appreciation to others and excelling in areas that matter to you will improve your feelings towards yourself.

While the holiday of Thanksgiving reminds us to be thankful, let’s not forget that gratefulness can be felt all year round.

References:
Asokan, A. (2022). Gratitude – Moral memory of mankind! Journal of Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry. 40(1), https://www.jisppd.com/article.asp?issn=0970-4388;year=2022;volume=40;issue=1;spage=1;epage=2;aulast=Asokan

Smith, J. A. (2013). Five Ways to Cultivate Gratitude at Work. Greater Good. http://imsacape.christians.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2019/08/Five-Ways-to-Cultivate-Gratitude-at-Work.pdf