Incorporating Gratitude Into Daily Actions

Gratitude. Thankfulness. Acknowledging the good in situations and showing appreciation.

Often linked with happiness, better sleep, likability, health, even boosting your career (!), gratitude can be hard to come by in the daily grind. As an industry driven by purpose and passion you think it would be easy to be grateful on a daily basis. Getting bogged down with deadlines can easily disenchant even the most spirited individual. If expressing gratitude is associated with such positive benefits, why don’t we make it more of a daily practice? Being thankful doesn’t have to entail hours of meditation a day or journaling all of your positive thoughts.

Below are three suggestions on how to incorporate being thankful into your daily life.

Thankful for growth opportunities.

Often when a situation does not go the way we want it to we perceive it as a negative one. However, each hard situation can also be a growth opportunity. Reflect on the challenge and learn from the experience. Be grateful that you were able to identify this situation and rectify it for the future. Whether it is finding out that your colleague detests holiday music or overcoming a challenging personality in your office, acknowledging and addressing the situation allows it to be a problem you never have to face again.

Thankful for new experiences.

Moving into a new role, going to a new company, meeting new people. Doing new things and facing change is overwhelming to most. Instead of avoiding something new, embrace the change! Be grateful that those around you have faith in you moving into a new and more challenging role. Be thankful that you can move on from one experience to another that you feel is better suited for you at that moment. Be excited that you can expand 

beyond the people you already know and potentially gain new insight and opportunities. Evolving and growing is a necessary part of life. Be grateful that this happens for you and thankful that you have endless chances to mix things up.

Grateful for others.

Finding the character flaws in others can sometimes be easier than appreciating all of the positive attributes they have. Take time to show gratitude to others. If someone did something to make your job easier thank them. If someone gave you guidance that you appreciated thank them. If someone makes you feel good and supported let them know that you appreciate their actions. When giving positive feedback and recognition be sincere and specific. Express your gratitude for the time and support that people give to you and they will continue doing so.

When you are struggling to find things to be grateful for in the workplace – remember why you do what you do. Be grateful that you get to practice something you love every day. Remember that what you do positively affects countless people. Remember we are all human. Some days your colleague might be in a bad mood and some days you might land the largest project your firm has ever had. Some days being grateful is easy and others is it extremely tough. Being thankful and having a positive attitude no matter the day or situation allows you to create a better and happier environment for you and everyone around you.

Find small ways to be thankful daily, even if it is as small as your commute took five minutes less than the standard hour drive 😊.

PS – No matter what you are celebrating this holiday season we hope you enjoy this cheerful video on being grateful!