How many times have we used or heard the phrase, “just be grateful that…?” For many, the comment is typically brushed off and everyone moves on with the conversation. We all know that being grateful and having gratitude in our lives is important for many purposes, but now, science is backing up the claim that a little bit of gratitude can go a long way for our health and our happiness, both personally and professionally.
We don’t really need science to understand that gratitude plays a big role in our lives, but it sure is nice to have some hard facts. Research shows that spending time sitting down and expressing what you are grateful for makes people happier. Harvard found that those who wrote in a journal each week expressing what they were grateful for were more optimistic and felt good about their lives as compared to two other groups who wrote about what displeased them and events that affected them.
Gratitude has other positive affects as well – better sleep, increased self esteem, makes us nicer, enhances our decision making, makes it easier to network and more.
All of these benefits not only make our lives better, but it also has added benefits to small business owners. Gratitude has a positive correlation to our lives, but it also has a positive correlation to our relationships. According to Harvard, managers who remember to say thank you to their employees feel motivated to work harder.
If you’re looking for ways to grow your gratitude there are many options. Writing thank you cards, mentally saying thank you, as mentioned earlier, keeping a journal, taking time to pray, or being mindful and meditating are just a few of the many options available to us.
Find the way that works for you and grow your gratitude!
