The turkey’s been consumed. And hopefully the left-overs are gone too. And with that, Thanksgiving is quickly forgotten, as we get into the mad rush of preparing for the Holidays. But wait! What if we took the leftovers to work?
Research recently quoted in the Wall Street Journal has shown that those who feel grateful have “more energy, more optimism, more social connections and more happiness. They earn more money, sleep more soundly, exercise more regularly and have greater resistance to viral infections.” All this without any drugs folks!!
So here are 5 tips to bring Thanksgiving leftovers to work everyday. It will bring more joy and productivity to what you do!
1) Recognize and feel gratitude for the strengths that you bring to your work. Most gratitude is traditionally expressed for external events or people, but start with yourself. What strengths do you bring to what you do? Write them down. Give yourself a pat on the back!
2) Recognize the work of an associate or colleague you work with. Better yet, write down in your daily to-do list to recognize the work of someone everyday. Try to do it in person. It doesn’t take much effort. “Sally, I really appreciate how you….”. The research shows that not only will their performance improve, your sense of well-being will too! And a sincere compliment will always improve your workplace connections and satisfaction.
3) Write a note of gratitude to your customers. Better yet, make a phone call. Don’t put anything else on the agenda other than expressing your thanks and appreciation.
4) Start and end the work day with gratitude. Start the daily drive to work making a mental list of what you’re grateful for in the upcoming day. Going back home, mentally list the events and people at work you’re grateful for. You’ll arrive home a lot less stressed, guaranteed!
5) Connect gratitude and corporate strategy. Seems like a stretch. What’s the connection? Start by understanding what’s working well in the company. What are your company’s strengths? How best does it create value for customers? Who are the customers you’re most grateful for? Why? As you find answers to these questions, you will start to understand the underpinnings of your corporate strategy.
I am sure there are many more ways of expressing gratitude at work. Which ones are your favorites?
