How gratitude increases productivity
Photo by Freshh Connection on Unsplash
Last week, I didn’t post or send out a newsletter because I wanted to help you keep your inbox in check during a busy holiday week. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t have something to share!
In the spirit of Thanksgiving (and I know, I know, the reality of the history of Thanksgiving is nothing like the meaning we ascribe to it… but that’s a whole other post on a much more serious topic), I was thinking about gratitude. We know that gratitude increases happiness, and since we know that happy people are more productive, I had a hunch that regularly practicing gratitude might increase productivity,
I started doing a bit of research and it turns out I’m not the only one who’s been thinking about this. Real live researchers have. And, I was right! ; Gratitude can increase productivity.
So, do you want to be happier and more productive, both at work and at home? Here are a few quick, low effort strategies to get you started practicing gratitude on a regular basis:
Start a gratitude journal (or list, or doc)
Each day write down just one thing you are grateful for. This takes all of 30 seconds per day, so just do it.
Practice “three good things”
By yourself, or with your partner, or your kids, at the end of the night list 3 good things that happened to you, or that you did, today.
When you get to work each day, think of one reason why you are grateful for your job
Maybe it’s the people you work with, the interesting projects you get work on, or maybe it’s just simply the paycheck it provides.
I’ll start:
I’m so grateful that I get to share my thoughts on how to live a more productive, less stressful life with you all. And I’m so grateful for the comments you send me about these posts!