How An Attitude Of Gratitude Can Help You Conquer Overload

Unless you leap frog directly from Halloween to Christmas (as most retailers do), you know the next significant event after Veterans Day is Thanksgiving. While I should have an “attitude of gratitude” all year, I find myself feeling much more thankful as I look ahead to these events.

I’ve also noticed that during these months I’m just as busy as I am the rest of the year, but the weight of work and life overload is lessened, and I actually feel more productive. Being curious as to why, I did some informal research (i.e. I googled it), and it turns out that expressing or receiving gratitude can have a profound impact on our sense of overload and getting the right work done. Here are some reasons why:

Gratitude helps our brains work better.

Okay neurology nerds, this one is for you. According to an article at gethppy.com, “When we are stressed or upset at work, the limbic system of the brain basically takes over, suppressing activity in the prefrontal cortex which is the part of the brain responsible for ‘executive functions’ and creative thinking. When you express gratitude, it instead creates a calm and safe environment in the brain, which not only makes you feel happier but can result in your brain, and the brains of those you work most closely with, doing better work.” One of my most frequent obstacles to better productivity is mental overload, so it looks like expressing gratitude is one key to helping me think and create on a higher, more positive level.

Gratitude strengthens relationships and teams.

Robert Emmons, author of The Little Book Of Gratitude, writes, “Gratitude takes people outside of themselves and to a place that is part of a larger, more intricate network of sustaining relationships.” In short, it increases our positive emotional energy. We have a more cooperative spirit as we work together. I find that working with others becomes more relational and less of a transaction just to get something done.

Gratitude is a stronger motivator than money or other factors.

According to a study by Glassdoor, 81% of employees are motivated to work harder when their boss shows appreciation for their work, and 70% said they would feel better about themselves and their efforts if their boss thanked them more regularly. Gratitude gives me that positive energy to push through those times when it seems like the “elephants” are getting bigger and bigger. I’m reminded that I am making a difference.

Gratitude improves our physical well-being

As Amy Morin writes in, How An Authentic Thank You Can Change Your Workplace Culture, “Grateful people tend to have lower blood pressure, improved immunity, and healthier hearts.” Let’s not overthink this one. When I physically feel better, I can get more work done.

So whether you’re feeling overloaded right now and need to be more grateful, or you need to help others manage their overload by expressing gratitude to them, It’s easy to see that it should be practiced more throughout the year and not just in this season. As Emmons is quoted as saying in the article, The Science Of Gratitude And Why It’s Important In Your Workplace, “Gratitude is the ultimate performance-enhancing substance at work. Gratitude heals, energizes, and transforms lives in a myriad of ways consistent with the notion that virtue is both its own reward and produces other rewards.”