In this episode, we’re going to dive into gratitude - talk about the science of it: Why it feels good, the neuroscience behind it, how we can create more of it and how we can use it.
I want you to bring gratitude into your life - not only to improve your day and your mood, but also so you can use it strategically to improve your career and let it trickle into all aspects of your life.
In this episode, we’re going to dive into gratitude - talk about the science of it: Why it feels good, the neuroscience behind it, how we can create more of it and how we can use it.
I want you to bring gratitude into your life - not only to improve your day and your mood, but also so you can use it strategically to improve your career and let it trickle into all aspects of your life.
Hello, everyone and welcome to the CareerSequel podcast. I’m your host, Dr. Lee Koles. We’re gearing up for Thanksgiving in the United States as I record this episode. It’s a holiday that I love - it’s all about food, friends and family. You don’t have to worry about shopping, about gifts - you just cook and bake and eat and hang out. It’s also a time to give thanks - to reflect upon all that you’re grateful to have in your life. We have a tradition in my family where we go around the table - we start with the youngest person and work our way up to the oldest - and each person says what they’re thankful for.
It may feel a little awkward at first, but by the end, everyone has loosened up and is feeling really good - really grateful for all these different things.
It turns out that a lot of research has been conducted on the benefits of gratitude. It has the ability to shift your mood almost immediately, which is why scientists have gone so far to call gratitude a “natural antidepressant”. Studies show that the effects of gratitude, when practiced daily, can be almost the same as medications. It produces a feeling of contentedness that can be detected at the neurotransmitter level.
Psychologists have studied the effects of gratitude in the workplace, too. Get this: It turns out that grateful workers are more efficient, more productive and more responsible. And that’s just the beginning.
In this episode, we’re going to dive into gratitude - talk about the science of it: Why it feels good. The neuroscience behind it. How we can create more of it and how we can use it.
I want you to bring gratitude into your life - not only to improve your day and your mood, but also so you can use it strategically to improve your career and let it trickle into all aspects of your life.
Are you ready? Let’s do this!
The warm, brilliant and wise Oprah Winfrey said, “Be thankful for what you have, you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never have enough.”
And it’s true. When you’re thankful, you do wind up having more: more enjoyment, fulfillment, comfort and serenity. The chemistry of your brain changes when you recognize all the positive things you have in your life. Psychologists found practicing acts of gratitude (for example, writing in a “gratitude journal”), activates a particular portion of the brain: the right anterior temporal cortex.
The cool thing is that this works for both expressing gratitude and receiving someone else’s gratitude. Our brain releases dopamine and serotonin - the “feel good” neurotransmitters of our brain. They make us feel pleasure, satisfaction and motivation.
Consciously practicing gratitude every day strengthens these neural pathways, ultimately making it easier for us to give and receive gratitude.
It also helps us battle anxiety and depression on a chemical level. Studies found that practicing acts of gratitude reduces the level of cortisol, which is our brain’s stress hormone.
So, actively giving thanks simultaneously ups the good stuff in our brains - that serotonin and dopamine - and the stress-maker, cortisol.
You’ve tuned in to this podcast because you’re ready for what’s next in your career. What if I told you that just the act of being grateful can dramatically influence your work life? Check out this research:
Gratitude has been found to improve interpersonal relationships not only at home, but also at work.
Employees who practice gratitude are more likely to volunteer for more assignments, more willing to work harder to accomplish tasks, and more happily work as part of a team.
Managers and supervisors who are more grateful have stronger group cohesiveness and better productivity. They recognize good work, are more communicative and are more willing to empower others.
Why do you think this is the case? We know that gratitude alters the chemical makeup of our brains. It also affects our behaviors.
Our thoughts create our feelings. Our feelings affect the actions or behaviors that we take. Those behaviors then create our results.
Let me repeat that once again: Our thoughts create our feelings. Our feelings drive our behaviors. Those behaviors create our results.
I discuss this in detail in one of my early episodes - Episode 14: Why You Aren’t Taking Action. If you haven’t listened to that one, or if it has been a while (I guess that was nearly 50 episodes ago!), give it another listen - it’s a good one.
Let’s start with the thought: “I’m thankful for my coworkers.”
When you think the thought, “I’m thankful for my coworkers” it sparks a feeling of gratitude.
That feeling of gratitude drives behaviors: You go into work that day and smile at them. You stop at their desk and talk to them - ask them how they’re feeling. You help them out with a task. You thank them for something they’ve done for you. You say nice things about them.
The result? You’ve increased the flow of communication. You’ve promoted cohesion. The project you’re working on gets done more quickly and effectively. You feel more satisfied at the end of the work day.
That thought: “I’m thankful for my coworkers” creates an emotion (gratitude), which drives actions that lead to positive outcomes.
You may be wondering - okay - this gratitude thing. How do I put it into practice? There’s no secret recipe. If you’re a journaling type, you can keep a gratitude journal. Set aside some time during the day to write down things that you’re thankful for. Some people like to wake up and do this first thing in the morning. Other people like to do this at the end of the day. The key is to make it a daily habit, so pick a time that works best for you.
I use a couple different techniques. I like to keep things as simple as possible. I’m not a journal person - I just use my phone’s Notes app. I have one page and on that page I have 5 bullets. Each morning I wake up, get ready for the day and before I leave my room, I fill in those 5 bullets with 5 things I’m grateful for. The next day, I open up the same note, delete those 5 things and write 5 fresh, new things I’m grateful for.
I’m telling you, just acknowledging those 5 things makes you feel so much better! I even like deleting the things from the day before - because they’re added bonuses - seeing those things that I was grateful for the day before.
I’m a runner, so I try to begin each day with a run. I double down with this gratitude practice on my runs. When I set off on my run, I make a point to think about all the things I’m grateful for. I say it aloud and it usually starts with, “I’m grateful for this run.” And I try to let it all flow out, stream of consciousness, without judgment, just taking in my surroundings, acknowledging them and being grateful for it all. It might sound like, “I’m grateful for this run. I’m grateful I got myself up early enough to do this. I’m grateful that it’s not too cold and it’s not slippery and I got myself outside to go for this run.” “I’m grateful for all that I have going on today - I’m grateful for my amazing clients. I’m grateful that I get to see them today. I’m excited to hear about how they’re doing. I’m grateful that I get to sit down and write and record my podcast episode. I’m grateful that I have something to share with others that may help them. I’m grateful for my podcast listeners…”
I do this stream of consciousness gratitude exercise until the turn-around point on my run. Let me tell you, it works. I finish my run feeling so good!
I know others who get into bed, let their head hit the pillow and give thanks for 5 things. Or 3 things. Even one thing. Pouring out gratitude for one thing can do wonders for your sleep. This is the stuff of great dreams.
Writing a note or email or text to someone expressing gratitude will also give you that shot of serotonin and dopamine. It does it on your end and it does it on the receiving end. The recipient of your thanks will feel great too. Gratitude is contagious!
Journalist Germany Kent said, “It’s a funny thing about life, once you begin to take notice of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack.”
This is so true. Studies have been done on this - psychologists even gave this phenomenon a name: The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon: It’s the cognitive bias in which people tend to see a particular thing everywhere after noticing it for the first time.
For example, if I say to you, “Every time I get out on the road I see a red Mini Cooper” I guarantee that you will start seeing red Mini Coopers yourself. You will notice them everywhere!
When the Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon kicks in, your brain is excited by a new piece of information (that there are red Mini Coopers everywhere) and it will subconsciously search for that thing. It will notice it without you asking for it.
The gratitude principle and the Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon can go hand-in-hand. Let’s consider this in a work context.
If you think, “I’m grateful for my writing skills.” You’re going to notice all the times you use your writing skills at work. You’ll notice when you dash off that email correspondence to an important client. You’ll think about your writing talent when you create that presentation. You’ll feel good when your manager asks you to write a proposal.
If you think, “I’m grateful when my coworkers support me.” You’re going to notice each time your coworkers do something to help you out. You’ll feel an internal “bell” ringing when someone does something kind for you or gives you a complement.
One of my favorite quotes is by author Robert Brault. He said, “Enjoy the little things. For one day you will look back and realize they were the big things.”
Each of us is the central character of our own life. You know when you’re watching a movie and you see the hero going on his or her way - You can see the bigger picture, the overarching context - the adventures that are up ahead, the challenges and the glory that are waiting.
It’s the same for us. We often can’t see all that we have accomplished and how it will help us, how it will play out for us in the context of our careers.
I want you to practice reframing your career story to include gratitude:
Do you want a promotion within your company right now? Frame this desire with thoughts of gratitude:
Maybe you’ve had a successful career in one field, but want to try something new. Frame this with gratitude:
If you had a career break and are returning to work:
You can even be grateful if you were laid off or fired.
To recap, gratitude is something that feels great and can be used strategically to enrich our careers and our lives. It’s also contagious, so you can uplift yourself and others at the same time.
I wanted to sign off today by letting you know how thankful I am for you. Thanks for being curious. Thanks for taking the time to search for this podcast. Thanks for downloading it, thanks for hitting that play button. Thanks for spending time with me today. I hope that you learned something. I hope this was helpful. I have a feeling that you’re going to be seeing a lot of red Mini Coopers - and I hope that you find yourself thinking of all the fantastic things you have going on in your life right now.
Until we get together again, take good care - and know that I’m cheering you on!