The Virtuous Cycle of Gratitude

Kyan Health recently conducted a poll with our LinkedIn community on the topic of expressing gratitude towards others. What we have found is that while feeling valued and appreciated is one of our basic human needs, each one of us has their own preferred ways of showing and receiving appreciation. Whether it is through words, actions, or a mix of both, practising gratitude has many important benefits, including helping to reduce stress, increasing self-confidence and building strong relationships at work.

In this article, we will dive deeper into the topic of gratitude and why it is an important quality to have, especially in the workplace.

What is Gratitude?

Gratitude is a positive emotion expressed by feeling thankful and appreciative for what we have in life. It is the expression in finding value in the people in our lives or experiences that we undergo. Often in life we can take things for granted, but when we stop and pause to think about the things that we appreciate the most, this is often referred to as gratitude.

What are some benefits of gratitude?

Maintaining a sense of appreciation not only leads to deeper connections with our colleagues, but it also boosts our individual performance and happiness. When we express appreciation towards others, we feel more optimistic, satisfied and connected to our work and the people that surround us.

Gratitude is an important pillar of a successful organisation. Leaders who constantly recognise and value the personal efforts of their team members are more likely to see increased retention, engagement, motivation and productivity.

As a leader, how can you create a culture of gratitude in your workplace?

There are many ways for your company to encourage a culture of gratitude in the workplace, including:

• Looking for opportunities to celebrate success and achievements: even appreciating small successes will make employees feel special 
• Organising a thank-a-thon: send personalised digital thank-you notes to employees to show gratitude in a creative and cost-free way
• Supporting random acts of kindness: by recognising employees who help other co-workers
• Bringing mindfulness into the workplace: by encouraging employees to meditate and take mindful walks in nature
• Supporting peer-to-peer recognition: by encouraging employees to give thank-you notes to their colleagues

What’s next?

Showing gratitude in the workplace is a tool that is widely practised amongst highly-engaged, high-performing companies worldwide. With its proven impacts on both individual and team performance³, stop to take a second to consider what you are grateful for, both within yourself and the team members around you.

If you are interested in learning more about how to support your employees’ well-being, book a demo with us today or click here to learn more about our comprehensive workplace well-being solutions.