Gratitude is something our parents try to instill in us as children. Don’t forget to say thank you! As adults most of us still remember to mind our manners with a perfunctory “thank you” when appropriate. But how often do we take the time to feel truly appreciative?
We try to get out and exercise regularly, we attempt to eat healthy, and we do our best to get to bed at a decent hour. We try all kinds of productivity tricks and mind hacks to get these good habits to stick, yet intentionally incorporating gratitude into our daily lives is rarely a priority.
Research in psychology and neuroscience has proven that gratitude can be a transformative habit in both your career and personal life (and, in my personal experience, writing down five things you’re grateful for is a whole lot easier than getting your butt out the door for a run). Here’s what current science has to say about why it’s worth our time to give more attention to this overlooked habit and the concrete ways we can go about building gratitude every day.
Like exercise or healthy eating, gratitude is a habit that can be strengthened over time. As with any habit, the key is to create consistent routines to encourage a grateful mindset every day. Here are 7 simple ways to build gratitude into your day that can take as little as 5 minutes:
Journal for 5 minutes every morning
Gratitude studies have shown that reaping the astounding benefits of feeling grateful doesn’t have to take a lot of time. Set aside just five minutes every morning to reflect on the good things in your life.
A physical journal like the 365 Days of Abundance or Affirmation Cards can help to keep the habit consistent, but a pen and a 50 cent notebook do the trick too.
Take a 5-minute gratitude break
No matter how positive we try to be, there will always be stressful situations that arise in our workdays. Instead of letting a feeling of overwhelm paralyze you, walk away from your computer and take five minutes to write down the things that you appreciate about your job.
I like to remind myself that I love that my job challenges me, even if that’s stressful sometimes. It helps me keep perspective and tackle the work I’ve been avoiding.
Say thank you to a coworker at the end of every day
Reach out to a co-worker at the end of the day to let them know you genuinely appreciate something they did.
Create time for your team to give “Props”
Better yet, make gratitude a company-wide habit by giving your whole team time to express appreciation.
The employees at Beta brand close each all-hands meeting with “Props”, a company ritual during which people publicly express appreciation to their colleagues who they thought did something particularly well. This ritual helps build trust and boost morale at the company.
Write a letter of gratitude once a week
Take half an hour out of your weekend to thank someone in your life in a letter. Expressing gratitude will make you and the other person happier, while strengthening your relationship at the same time.
Do a monthly favor
Don’t just show your appreciation. Show it. Choose a different friend, family member, colleague, or mentor acquaintance each month and identify one thing you can do to help them out without expecting anything in return.
Kickstart your journey of gratitude now with the Manifestation toolkit curated by Happy Roads!
